A Dancing Star
by Xzeihoranth
Summary: Two radically different families, the Sons of Sparda and the royal sisters of Arendelle, along with the ice harvester Kristoff, attempt to adjust to life under the same roof. But Vergil's arrival has set into motion a series of dramatic events, unleashing an ancient evil scattered across the enchanted isles. Sequel to The Devil's Frozen Heart.
1. Siblings

Anna knocks on her sister's door. It feels as though it's been forever since she's even _had_ to knock, but as much as she loves Elsa, she would very much rather not walk in on her sister engaging in romantic relations with her newfound lover. So she chooses the side of caution. She lowers her hand and frowns at the door a little. It's still closed. She did knock fairly quietly (it is the middle of the night after all); perhaps Elsa just didn't hear her. She knocks a little louder. "Elsa!" she whispers. "I know you're in there. I can hear you writing."

The scratching of the pen stops. Anna, all too used to silence, hears slippered feet approaching. She steps back from the door even before it opens and is ready to greet her sister with a smile that belies the lateness of the hour. "Anna!" Elsa whispers. "What are you still doing up?"

"I don't know!" Anna says. "But I love it! It's almost like when we were little, remember?"

Elsa's smile flickers faintly. Even after all this time, not to mention the Thaw, the memory still cuts her like a knife. "Is something wrong?" Elsa asks after a painful pause.

"Oh no!" Anna says. "Nothing's WRONG; I just- I wanted to see you again." Her smile becomes tinged with a trace of sorrow. "It's been like an entire day since we've seen each other." she says.

"That's not true." Elsa says. "We saw each other at lunch, and at dinner!" She's a stickler for the facts; even if she had left out breakfast, it was only because Anna is rarely, if ever, awake for such occasions.

"I know," Anna says. "I meant just...the two of us, you know? The way it used to be."

Once again Elsa's insides seem to lurch. She almost reaches out to her sister, but thirteen years of bad habits are not to be easily broken. Instead, she says, "I am _so_ sorry if you've been feeling left out Anna. All you had to do was come talk to me." Her voice catches a little in her throat, and Anna takes notice.

"I guess we've both got a lot to learn, huh?" She reaches for one of Elsa's hands, and to her credit, Elsa doesn't snatch it away. She trembles at her sister's warm loving touch, and so Anna just stands there, letting Elsa adjust to the feel of her skin against her hand, until she finally succumbs and squeezes it. Elsa squeezes back and looks at Anna gratefully.

"So..." Anna says at last. "Why are YOU up so late?"

Elsa sighs. "Trade agreements." She lets go of Anna's hand and goes back into her bedchamber. Anna follows suite. She marvels at how little has changed since they were young. "Paperwork..." Elsa sits down at a desk, one of the few additions to the room, and one which sits exactly where Anna's bed used to be. "Tax returns..." She sighs again and slumps down in her chair. "Sometimes it feels as if it just never ends." she says.

"Maybe I can help!" Anna says. She hurries over and leans in to examine the paper on top. "'Arendelle Maintenance. Section 8...sewer system.'" She straightens up. "Nope. That one's all you."

Elsa rolls her eyes. "Thanks for the help." she says drily.

"No problem!" Anna chirps back. "I'm happy to be of service!" Elsa gives her a pretend exasperated look, then returns to her papers.

Anna gradually becomes bored with the silence. Suddenly she asks, "Where's Vergil?" You might think this realization was a long time coming, but Anna's thoughts are always with her sister.

Elsa looks up. "I assume he's off talking with Dante." she replies.

Anna eyes her sister. "That doesn't...bother you?"

Elsa frowns. "Do you think it should?" she asks.

"It SHOULDN'T, but..." Anna struggles to find the right words. "You've been just about inseparable since you came back down from the mountains. And the past few days have been _different_... As your sister, I've got a right to worry about you-"

Elsa laughs a little. "We're _fine_ Anna." she says reassuringly. "I guess we just needed some time on our own." Another word had almost come to her then: _alone_.

Anna nods. "That makes sense." she says. "Me and Kristoff are the same way. Except when HE wants to be alone he goes off into the mountains like you, only not forEVER, just for like a day or two-" She stops, bemused, as Elsa smiles at her. "I'm rambling again aren't I?" Anna says self-consciously.

Elsa struggles to compose herself. "Only a little." she says at last. "You don't have to stop on my account. I always liked hearing you talk."

"Good." Anna says. She plops herself down on Elsa's lap and rests her head upon her sister's shoulder.

"Oof!" Elsa groans at the sudden extra weight. "I think you're a little big to be doing that now..."

Anna ignores her. "I always liked talking with you." she says as she tries and fails to stifle a yawn. "Even when you just sat there and listened. It made me feel like someone was actually paying attention to me." Elsa's heart aches, like it had so many times during the nearly fifteen years she and her sister had been parted. _But we're not apart any more_, she remembers. _And I am going to spend every second I can making sure she knows how much people care about her. Especially me._ She lifts her free arm away from the desk and wraps it around Anna's shoulders. It makes writing a little difficult to be sure, but it's the least she can do. Anna squeezes Elsa's forearm sleepily, and continues talking. "Mom and dad... they _tried_, but it...it wasn't the same. They were the king and _queen_, and I know you're the queen too now but you're my sister first." She yawns again. "I think I'm done keeping secrets. Even the fun kind, like what happened with Dante. It _hurts_, not being able to tell you things. You're not gonna keep anything from me any more, right Elsa?"

Elsa freezes. Completely. Hardly a muscle moves, inside or out. She wants to say yes more than anything, but she's gotten so accustomed to keeping secrets, from herself, from the staff, from Anna, from Vergil. She wants to keep things light and airy, as they are so often nowadays, but all she can say is a quiet "I'll try Anna." Anna doesn't respond. "Anna?" Elsa glances over. Anna is fast asleep. Elsa sighs and puts down her quill. "Okay." she grunts as she shifts Anna's deadweight in preparation for standing up. "What's that thing Kristoff calls you?" she asks her slumbering sister. She's taken up Anna's role of filling the silence almost unconsciously. "'Feistypants'? Okay 'feistypants'-" She grabs Anna under the arms and struggles to her feet. "-up and at 'em!"

Elsa totters over to the bed. Anna is not making this easy. She's already beginning to _sprawl_. She's a natural sprawler, and it's a very near thing Elsa is able to make it to the bed before she lifts her sister onto it. Anna promptly sprawls even more. If Elsa had thought getting her there would be the hard part, she's in for a surprise when she tries getting her very uncooperative and very unconscious sister under the bedsheets.

At last she manages to find an arrangement that suits both of them. Anna stops struggling for once and settles back into the pillow. Elsa smiles down at her. "Sleep well Anna." she says, placing a kiss on Anna's forehead. "I'm not going anywhere."

Elsa is only able to scribble her signature on a few more pieces of parchment before sleep threatens to take her as well. She crawls into bed beside Anna (naturally, she lets Anna have all the bedsheets, at least for tonight) and is asleep within minutes. Perhaps it's just as well this way. There's at least one letter still left to read that she would not have been able to handle tonight.

* * *

><p>Elsa's guess is only half right. Vergil IS with Dante, but talking is the furthest thing from either of their minds.<p>

Vergil narrowly avoids one of Dante's thrusts and chops the point of his brother's sword to the ground with the flat of his hand. Although Dante keeps ahold of the hilt for a couple moments, it provides ample opportunity for Vergil to run up onto the sword and flip into the air, kicking Dante's chin as he does. The blow sends Dante flying back. He rolls onto his feet as Vergil picks up his sword. "Now that's just not fair." Dante comments idly.

"You didn't think of bringing anything else?" Vergil asks. They walk a slow dangerous circle around each other.

"I didn't exactly have time to pack." Dante says. "Besides, I wasn't sure what that thing out there was gonna let me bring."

"What 'thing out there'?" Vergil lowers the sword. _Finally, something useful._

Dante shrugs. "Hell if I know. It kinda felt like something the Order was workin' on. They had these machines that'd let you stop time."

"Like the little trick you learned in the tower." There will only be one 'tower' for them.

"Yeah..." Dante says thoughtfully. "That's kinda weird, isn't it?" He doesn't say it as a question. He's worked his way closer to Vergil now while his brother is lost in thought. He makes a grab for his sword but Vergil whirls away and holds it at the ready once more. Dante sighs. "Can't you get your own?" he grumbles.

"I would, if you would tell me where it is." Vergil replies.

"Okay then, Fortuna." Dante holds out his hand for Rebellion, but Vergil keeps ahold of it.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asks.

"You mean you don't know?" Dante lowers his hand. There's an amused expression on his face now. "Well that's rich. Figured a guy like you would've been all over it."

"Clearly you thought wrong." Vergil says. "You often do." He points his brother's sword at him. "Now talk."

"Not until I have MY sword back!"

They glare at each other. Then, "Whaddya say we skip the friendly banter this time around?" Dante says abruptly. "I wanna see how much fight you've got."

Vergil smirks. "That's the first sensible thing you've said all day." Without warning he charges at his brother, who stands his ground, just as he's always done.


	2. Families

Elsa, as usual, is the first to wake up. As she lifts her head off the pillow, she catches a hint of sunlight through the curtain. She focuses on it, and calculates by the position of the sun and the time of year it is that she received about three hours of sleep last night. She sighs and flops back down onto the bed. Anna snorts and rolls over, rummaging around in her sleep until she finds Elsa and wraps her arms around her again. Elsa smiles over at her. "You are the messiest sleeper I've ever known." she whispers lovingly. Anna grins, apparently registering that as a compliment on some level.

Elsa watches her baby sister sleep for a while before she realizes that it's time to get up. She gets to her feet and stretches, her hair unfurling itself luxuriously down the back of her neck. She lifts her black nightgown up over her head and drapes it over the back of her chair. She closes her eyes, lets the magic flow from the tips of her fingers and is soon covered in the familiar blue ice dress. She keeps reminding herself to make an appointment with one of the dressmakers in town to have a new one made, but there is always so much to do...

Her gaze comes back around to her sister. Anna has wasted no time in claiming the rest of Elsa's bed as her own. And she's snoring. Elsa's inner child comes up with a brilliant idea, though she'd never admit to it being brilliant herself, and Elsa obliges it. With a puff, a little snowflake appears in midair and twinkles down to land on the tip of Anna's nose. Her nose twitches. Elsa directs the snowflake to stand up on one of its eight identical 'feet' and amuses herself by making it dance, at least until Anna sneezes herself awake, making Elsa loses sight of it. "Are you all right Anna?" Elsa asks as she tries not to giggle.

Anna looks confused. "Wh-what's going on?" she yawns. "Why am _I_ in _your_ bed?"

"You fell asleep on my shoulder." Elsa says. "It took just about everything I had to get you over there."

"Wait, so..." Anna tries thinking the cobwebs out of her head. "Where did you sleep?"

Elsa smiles. "Right there." she says, and when Anna looks where her sister is pointing, Elsa quickly forms a snowball and throws it into her sister's face.

"Hey!" Anna splutters. She brushes the snow away from her eyes and throws the pillow in the direction of her wildly giggling sister.

Elsa yelps and dodges it. She turns back to Anna with a mock serious expression on her face, and her arms folded in front of her. "That was your only weapon." she tells her.

"That's what-" Anna bundles up the top layer of sheets and chucks it at Elsa. "-you think!"

The wad of sheets lands almost exactly on top of Elsa's head and then rapidly unbundles. Elsa is covered from head to toe in red satin. "I probably should've seen that coming." she admits, her voice muffled by the fabric.

"It's not your fault." Anna says. She gets out of Elsa's bed and walks over to help unravel her sister. "Everyone underestimates me."

"But I'm your sister." Elsa says. "I should know BETTER than that." Anna pulls off the last of the bedsheet to find Elsa frowning worriedly. Her arms, which had been folded not half a minute ago, now hug her body tightly. "I missed your whole life." she whispers. "I never got to see you grow up. I just...heard it from the other side of my door." She turns away, revisiting old habits.

"First off, I'm eighteen." Anna says to her sister's back. "Most women, most ROYAL women, live to be more than double that!" She puts a hand on Elsa's shoulder. "We have all the time in the world to get to know each other."

Elsa forces her shoulders down. "You're right." she sighs. She turns her head a little. "So what's the second thing?" she asks.

"I'll race you to the washroom." Anna says, jerking her head over her own shoulder.

Elsa pretends to think about it. "You're on!" she says, gathering up her train and dashing after her sister. They run giggling into the bathroom, and there is a spirited debate during their washing-up on who had been waiting for the other to catch up and be the first one in. (Although it must be said in Elsa's defense, running in heels is no mean feat.)

* * *

><p>Dante and Vergil on the other hand are still in the courtyard. Though they are now breathing heavily and no longer engaged in active combat, they're still glaring at each other. After a while Dante asks, "So... What are you planning on doing now?"<p>

"As always brother, that is none of your concern." Vergil says. "I am alive; isn't that enough for you?"

"Maybe." Dante says with a shrug. "I think you need to ask if it's enough for you though." He leans a little on the second-to-last word.

They're interrupted by the arrival of the Arendelle sisters. Anna waves happily at Dante who returns it by touching two fingers to his brow in a salute. Elsa comes to stand by Vergil who bends slightly at the waist. "Your Majesty." he says.

"We're not going to go through that again are we?" Elsa laughs.

"We ARE in public."

"There's hardly anyone about." Elsa gestures around for proof. The only people in sight are a handful of guards near the entrance to the courtyard.

"You never know when that might change." Vergil says.

As if to prove his point, the guards step aside to let one of their number advance. The man's been running, but he isn't close to out of breath. Dante and Vergil observe this without comment as the man approaches. "Your Majesty." he says with a bow. "There is an unmarked vessel heading into the harbor."

Elsa blinks. "What?" she asks. "Is there anyone on board?"

"One of our men had a spyglass. He says there are two women and one man on deck. He also says, though it may be a hunch, that none of them appear to be experienced sailors."

"Oh, terrific. It's not an invasion then." Dante says. "It'd really liven the place up too..."

The guard glances at the Sons of Sparda, a little nervously, Elsa thinks. "What is it captain?" she prompts him.

"It's the man, your Majesty. He... he also has white hair." Dante uncrosses his arms.

Elsa takes it in stride. "We'll meet you at the docks Captain. Have your men ready, but do no arm them openly. We don't want to give our visitors the wrong impression."

"Yes your Majesty." He hurries away to give orders to his men.

Elsa turns to Anna. "Anna, where is Kristoff?"

"He and Olaf went up into the mountains." Anna says. "He left a couple days ago... Elsa, what's going on?"

"It's probably nothing." Elsa says, raising her hands reassuringly. "I just want to be sure I know where everyone is." She takes a breath and endeavors to return to normality. "Now. Do you want to come and meet the new arrivals?"

"Are you kidding?" Anna says. "Of course I do!" Elsa extends a hand toward the bridge, but Anna one-ups her by grabbing onto it and practically hauling her sister after her.

Vergil takes a step forward. "You were expecting this." he observes of his brother.

Dante shakes his head. "Nope!" he says. "I'd be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind, but..." He turns halfway. "You still wanna know where your sword is? Well then, follow me."

* * *

><p>The Sons of Sparda are the last of the welcoming party to arrive, and they do so just as the boat is coming into view. Vergil offers Elsa a comforting hand, which she accepts. Royalty, demonic halfbreeds and guards of Arendelle alike wait anxiously for the ship to arrive, though some await it more anxiously than others.<p>

Slowly, the ship pulls into port. It's a simple ship: plain wood, no flags, no decorations of any sort. Someone on deck throws the anchor overboard while another lowers the gangplank. Then, they appear.

The young man is first to disembark. His right arm is bound in a sling, which he carries close to his chest, and his coat is a mixture of black and purple and red.

"You took your time getting here kid!" Dante calls from the back of the crowd.

The newcomer scoffs. "It would've been a hell of a lot easier if this place showed up on any maps past the 1800s!" he retorts.

"You know him?" Anna asks Dante.

Dante nods. "Yeah, I helped him out a while back. His town was overrun with demons, the leader of his cult wanted to become a god. No big deal."

The women are next. One is shorter with close-cropped black hair. She's wearing a plain white dress, which she is clearly uncomfortable in. Her eyes are two different colors, but she's scowling with both of them. She hangs back for a moment to tie off the mooring lines. The other is tall with long blonde hair. She too is wearing a plain monochrome dress, though hers is black to her counterpart's white and she appears to be far more comfortable in it.

Elsa prepares herself to speak, but Dante gets there first. "All right!" he says. "The gang's all here!" He makes his way through the crowd and stands between the two women. "Introductions!" He puts a hand on the shorter woman's shoulder. "This one's Lady-" He nods at the blonde. "-that one's Trish... and the kid in front's name is Nero."

"Welcome to Arendelle!" Anna calls, unable to contain herself any further.

"Quite." Elsa says with a smile. "I'm sorry about the lack of a proper welcome. We had no idea you were coming."

"It's a bigger welcoming committee than I'm used to seeing." Lady says.

"You could almost be forgiven for thinking they were happy to see us." Trish adds.

Nero takes a step forward. "I take it you're the one in charge around here." he says to Elsa.

The captain bristles with indignation. "You're speaking to the queen of Arendelle boy! Show some respect!" he barks.

"Settle down captain." Elsa tells him. He obeys reluctantly, and she turns her attention back to Nero. "I am, as you may have heard, the queen. Is there something I can do for you?"

Nero shrugs a little. "I guess it'd help if I knew why I came here..." he says.

"You mean you don't know?" Elsa asks. Her eyes grow a little wider in surprise.

"No idea. Just felt really damn important." he says. Then, as if for the first time, he sees Vergil.

Vergil has been staring at him ever since he arrived. At first, he had simply been trying to ignore the two women, who bear unpleasant reminders of his past, but as he looks closer, he seems to sense something familiar about the boy. The hair is likely a coincidence; any number of things could have caused it; but the face... There's something about that face that worries Vergil. Has he seen it in a dream? If so he doesn't remember it. But then why does it bother him?

For his part, Nero feels none of this, only a strange tingling sensation in his arm, perhaps slightly more intense than usual. _Nothing new there then_, he thinks to himself. It's been doing that ever since it changed... or since HE changed.

It's Lady's turn to speak. "We're only stopping by so we can give Dante his stuff." She holds up a leatherbound briefcase.

"Speak for yourself." Trish interjects. "_I'm_ here because I get the feeling something's about to go wrong."

"What makes you say that?" Anna asks.

"Whenever Dante's around, something is ALWAYS about to go wrong." Trish says.

"Hey!"

"She does have a point." Lady says.

Dante looks at her with a very _et tu brute_ expression on his face. "Yeah, well, at least I clean up afterward right?"

"And that's why we stick around." Trish replies.

"Well," Elsa says with a chuckle. "If you're friends of Dante, then by extension you're friends of mine." She tells herself she's only saying this in her formal capacity, so she doesn't have to mean it. "We can arrange for you to stay at the castle, if you'd like."

Lady and Trish look at each other. "It beats sleeping on the ship." Lady says.

"Then let's do it."

And so Elsa and Anna lead everyone back into the castle. High up in the mountains however, something stirs. Kristoff looks up from his inspection of one of the earliest frozen lakes on record as a voice echoes inside his mind. **Idi ko mne. Ti obretyosh to, chto zasluzhivaesh.**


	3. Accustomed

p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Dante is supposed to be helping Lady and Trish settle into their new room. Instead, he's sprawled out on the floor and shooting the breeze. "So if you weren't planning on staying, why'd you get all dressed up?" he asks Lady./p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Lady scowls. "I was trying to blend in." she says.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""You? Trying to blend in?" Dante scoffs jovially. "Now that's out of character."p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Trish walks over to where Dante is lying. "If you're finished giving social commentary, you mind divvying up?" She drops the briefcase onto him, but he catches it with both hands.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""What'd you bring me?" he asks as he sits up.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""Everything." Lady says. "Including the kitchen sink."p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Dante eyes the briefcase suspiciously. "How'd you fit it all in here?"p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""It's bigger than it looks." Lady says, crossing her arms.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Dante flicks open the latches and opens it. He raises his eyebrows admiringly. "Niiiice." he says. It's just as she had said. Somehow the briefcase is bigger on the inside, with room inside to accommodate all of the devil arms he's accumulated over the years. The twin scimitars Agni and Rudra are here, as is the lightning sword Alastor, the gauntlets and greaves of Gilgamesh and Ifrit, good old Ebony and Ivory, the bizarre backpack-like weapon known as Lucifer, the bowgun Artemis, the enchanted nunchaku called Cerberus, the lightning-bat-guitar-succubus Nevan, and even another suitcase: the demonic shapeshifting Pandora.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"First Dante takes out the scimitars. "What do you say?" he asks. "Should we teach the girls how to sword-fight?" He tosses them into the air, one after the other.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"The women are not impressed, though the swords are. "It's been a while." one of them says.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""And he still remembers how to use us!" the other one cries.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Dante smacks the hilts together, just like he did in the old days. The swords fall silent. "All right, you win." he says to the women, and puts the swords away. Their disappointment is palpable, although they still remain silent.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Next he points an accusing finger at Alastor and Ifrit. "You two tried to kill me." he says.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""Didn't they ALL try and kill you?" Lady reminds him.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""Sure, but emtheyem were unprovoked." He shakes his head at them and moves on, passing over Gilgamesh and Nevan until he finds some that are more to his current liking. "Let's see... I want emyou/em-" Lucifer soars out of the briefcase and straps itself onto his back and shoulder. "-aaaaand emyou./em" Artemis latches itself onto his forearm./p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""What do you think the queen would do if she saw the nunchucks?" Trish asks.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""I think that's a mystery better left unsolved." Dante is about to snap the briefcase closed when he spies the Red Queen and Blue Rose at the bottom of the pile. "Hey, these aren't mine!"p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""Nero wanted them in there. He said he wasn't sure how they'd make it past the barrier." Lady says.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Dante looks back at the heavily modified sword and revolver. "So how emdid emthey make it past?"/p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""The briefcase is home to a sort of pocket dimension." she explains. "Demon smugglers used to use it to get past the spells and checkpoints that separated our two worlds, until Sparda put them out of business."p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""I like it!" Dante says. "I'm guessing it's yours then."p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""Yep. I thought my rocket launcher might be pushing the anachronisms a little too far though."p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""And the firearms aren't?"p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Lady throws up her hands. "I don't know." she grumbles. "Nothing about this makes any sort of sense to me."p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""Now SHE'S got a point." Trish says.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Dante shrugs. "I think I'm going to leave 'em in there for now." he says. "Wouldn't want to rupture the space-time continuum, would we?"p  
>hr   
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Meanwhile, Nero is lying on his bed looking up at the ceiling, wondering for about the hundredth time why he'd wanted to come here. At last he sighs in irritation and begins to undo the cast. "This is gonna be a pain to put back on." he thinks aloud while he works. "Maybe I should ask for some gloves."p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"The bandages come undone and his demonic right arm is free from its restraints. He flexes it experimentally, curling and uncurling his clawed fingers. The citizens of Fortuna might be getting used to it, but from what little the books that he'd found mentioned about Arendelle, Nero feels pretty confident they'd never seen the likes of this before.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"From there, his thoughts return to that mysterious barrier at sea. Passing through it had felt like activating one of the Chrono Slicers in the Order's labs, only much much stronger. The ocean and the boat and the two women he'd been sailing with had disappeared, and there was just...nothing. The nothing lasted for what seemed like an eternity, and his arm and brain had felt as if they were on fire when it ended.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"He does not sleep well that night.p  
>hr   
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Arranging sleeping quarters for the guests had taken a surprising amount of time and effort. Elsa had been momentarily caught off guard when the women had requested emoneem room instead of two, but she reflects that she really shouldn't have been. emYou of all people should know what love looks like/em, she tells herself./p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"She now finds herself woefully behind on paperwork. More had come with the morning post, and she had regretfully informed her sister that their catch-up festivities would have to wait. Anna had been understandably disheartened, but had recovered when Elsa said that she would be leaving her door open if the need for either conversation or hugs proved overwhelming.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"She's about two pages away from the only real letter of note when she hears familiar footsteps approaching. Quickly, she searches for a stopping point, sets down her quill, and is on her feet when Vergil arrives.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"He's surprised to see her up and about (the mounting piles of paperwork had been the main reason she had been relieved when he hadn't shown up the previous night), but he has recovered by the time he crosses the threshold and comes closer to put a kiss on her cheek. "Hi." she says.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""Hi." he says in return.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Uncomfortable silence is their trademark.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Then, "I'm almost finished with the paperwork." she tells him.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""Good." he says. "I've missed you."p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""I've missed you too." she says. They kiss, and she clutches at his forearms, surprising both of them with her need. It's a long time before they break away. When they do, her cheeks are flushed pink.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""Shouldn't you get back to work?" he teases her.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""I've had emmoreem than enough work for today." Elsa sighs. "But they won't sign and seal themselves." So she heads back over to the desk and tries to will her heart to settle down. It's easier said than done, and before she knows it, she's back on her feet./p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;""Is something wrong?" Vergil asks.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Elsa shakes her head. "No..." she says. "You're just...very...distracting." Before he can inquire further, she's in front of him and kissing him again, harder than she had before.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Vergil has come to subconsciously expect these kinds of mood swings. Though their arrival is always sudden and seemingly unprompted, he thinks that he knows what she has come to want. Together they feel their way blindly toward the bed and she falls down on top of him.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Neither of them remember to close the door.p  
>hr   
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Sometimes they do things in unison. They ravish each other's necks, or they moan, or they just lie there and emloveem./p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Sometimes Vergil takes the lead. Though Anna and indeed Elsa have both expressed the wish that Elsa find something new to wear, he's come to love this sensuous blue ice dress: the slit along the side of her leg, the faintest hint of cleavage at the top of her bodice, and the way it leaves her neck so open to his kisses.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Sometimes Elsa takes the lead. Though less outwardly demonstrative (most of the time anyway), there is still a feeling of passion behind whatever she does. It's always with her hands and it's always something simple. She might twist them together behind his back, or reach for one of his free hands and hold it with her own.p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"Now? Now they're just looking into each other's eyes, their faces only a few inches apart. He's still lying flat on his back. He at least has gotten new clothes: blue robes once more, though they lack the intricate touches of the ones he had worn in his youth. He and Elsa think they could spend hours like this, as they have before. Soon however, Elsa rolls off of Vergil and lands with a faint 'oof' on the pillow next to him. She's feeling giddy. He is too, or as close to giddy as he can be. And yet something is off. Elsa is the first to notice it. She emisem happy. She is emin/em love with him. But does she emlove/em him? The distinction is small, but it is there. If she loves him, shouldn't she want him to...touch her, the way they had touched each other in the sauna? Her smile flickers. As Vergil notices it, so does his own. To voice these thoughts aloud would be a sort of betrayal. He loves her, as she loves him, so what's holding them back?/p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;" p  
>p class="western" style="page-break-inside: avoid;"It's late afternoon now, yet still they're lying on the bed they occasionally share. They had hoped the trip to the North Mountain would put an end to their doubts, but it's such a hard thing to stop.p 


	4. Waiting

Arendelle. I hoped I'd never have to come back. When I was about to kill them, I kept telling myself it was nothing personal. But now...it's personal. They're the only ones who can save me.

You'll note my choice of words. 'They'. My father doesn't see it that way. He thinks she's the only one they need to worry about. He's wrong. I've seen them together. Even when they're angry, there's so much love between them you can almost see it. My brothers might say it's repulsive, the way they keep doting on one other. To me, it's fascinating. I don't see how she inspires that kind of loyalty, the kind of loyalty that'd lead her sister to throw her life away for her, especially when she was the reason she was dying. She's like... she's like a bubble. She just wants to be left alone, to mind her own business... but if everything isn't just right, she's going to pop.

And that's who I have to pin my life on. I'll be honest; I'm not expecting good things today. I saw the kind of mercy the snow queen has when her back is up against the wall. I'm not an optimist like Anna. I'm a realist.

The former prince, Hans

* * *

><p>You heard it too, right Sven? Sven? Buddy?<p>

Okay, think Kristoff, think. You're good at thinking. Except when it comes to redheads. Okay, uh... frozen lake, no other people around, voice inside your head. I'm hearing voices? Does this mean I'm crazy? I mean I know I talk to Sven, but Sven is my friend. Hey, it rhymed.

No, no more messing around. Gotta get to Grand Pabbie. Maybe he heard it too.

The royal ice harvester, Kristoff

* * *

><p>I can't sleep. I know I can't sleep. If I could, I wouldn't be talking to myself. I can't stop worrying about what happened earlier. Or rather, what didn't happen.<p>

Why don't I...want him any more? Am I still scared of him? Or am I still scared about me?

I can still see her sometimes when I sleep. Anna. Frozen. Dead. She looks as terrified as I feel. I can't imagine what it must have been like for her.

I could ask her, I suppose. Not about dying, but about love. Love is better than dying. But how would I even start? 'Hey Anna, what's it like to love somebody?' She'd probably think Vergil and I had another argument.

That's an idea. I always seem to feel better when we make up and forgive each other.

...what am I saying? What-what's wrong with me?

The snow queen, Elsa

* * *

><p>Kristoff's coming home tomorrow. Or is it today? I could wait for the bells and find out.<p>

…

He always smells nice. Different than Elsa, but nice.

…

I wonder how Elsa's doing. It's getting close to winter; maybe she'll finally feel like building a snowman with me.

…

I wonder if Dante would teach me how to sword fight.

…

I wonder when Elsa's going to get her new dress. I wonder if I can get one too.

The princess with a heart of gold, Anna

* * *

><p>The next morning, the castle is in an uproar. Dante, waking up late as usual, steps outside into the hallway and hears orders being issued in the distance. Curious, but not in any sort of hurry, he heads in the general direction of the voices. He passes a number of servants along the way, but none of them look as though they would be willing to answer questions.<p>

He follows the voices down a flight of steps, along one corridor, then another. Finally, he locates the center of activity. Elsa is in the middle of a crowd of advisors, issuing one order after another after another after another. She looks pale. Pale_r_, he reflects. "What's all the fuss?" he asks when he catches up to her.

She dismisses the attendants, takes a deep breath and stares straight ahead. She says five simple words. "Prince Hans is coming back."

Dante's heard enough from Anna to know that that means trouble. "Prince Hans, huh? Didn't you banish him for trying to murder the royal family?" he says.

"Yes I did." Elsa replies. "But his father, with due deference to the 'wrongs' I have suffered at his son's hands, says that he and his other sons, all TWELVE of them, have become locked in a stalemate, and have been unable to decide on his fate." Dante feels a familiar biting cold as Elsa's nerves threaten to get the better of her. "And so they've elected _me_ as the tie-breaker."

"You could always turn 'em down." he says idly.

"And risk open war?" Her voice quavers on the edge of incredulous, bordering on mild hysteria. "No, we'll just...entertain him for a couple days and send him back to his family." She crosses her arms.

"Well you've got four demons on your side." Dante says. "Might help even the odds." Then he considers it. "But that would lead to more trouble, so...better not." He mimics her line of thinking uncannily. "What are your options?"

Elsa still isn't looking at him as they begin to walk. "He is either stripped of his title and exiled-"

"Orr...?"

There's a crackle of frost after she says "Hanged."

Dante keeps his mouth shut for a while. When they find themselves nearing the front doors of the castle, Elsa whispers, "He'll be here any minute."

"Hey." Dante is about to put a hand on her shoulder, but thinks better of it. Instead he says, "You got this."

She smiles wanly at him as the doors open.

* * *

><p>Somehow Anna and Vergil end up standing next to each other at the docks. Anna fidgets, in a variety of ways. First she messes with her hair, then she teeters back and forth on her feet.<p>

"I don't suppose there's any point in asking you to stop." Vergil says.

"Nnnnnope." Anna replies.

Vergil tightens his lips and toys with the idea of assuming his demonic form to liven up the wait. Then Elsa arrives. She takes her position behind the captain of the guard and continues staring straight ahead. Anna sidles over unobtrusively and links arms with her. "Hey." she says. Elsa keeps staring. She says nothing. "...you want to talk?" Anna asks. Elsa shakes her head just a little. "Bottling it all up didn't do you much good last time..." Anna reminds her.

"What am I supposed to say?" Elsa says finally.

"Whatever you want. You're the queen."

Elsa scoffs at that. "Some queen. I can't even get a dress made. For _myself_." She's silent again, then abruptly asks, "Would you want to be the queen?"

It's Anna's turn to scoff. "Are you kidding?" she says. "I'd be late for my own coronation! I'd sleep through the ceremony, and...and end up falling into the chocolate out of fright!"

Elsa chuckles. "It'd certainly liven up the festivities." Her expression saddens quickly however. "He's already winning. He hasn't even gotten here, and I'm already trying to give up."

Anna puts her hand on Elsa's arm. "We can beat him again." she assures her. "We might not even know what he's up to, but at least this time we'll be ready for it."

Elsa looks at her sister gratefully, then something calls her attention back to the ocean. A black dot has appeared on the horizon. "Here he comes." she whispers.


	5. Arrivals

Over the next hour, the crowd watches the dot grow larger and larger. Soon there are faint indications of color, and soon after that it stops looking like a dot and starts to resemble a ship. As it approaches, Anna can feel Elsa's tension growing. Vergil moves closer to Elsa, squeezing in between her and the guard closest to her. He doesn't intend to make a statement by it; he just wants to get a better feel for the kind of man this Hans is.

Nero, Lady and Trish are at the back of the crowd. Nero tries to scratch his Devil Bringer through the thick black glove he had been able to procure from one of the staff. It's been itching like crazy today, even before he put the glove on. Trish and Lady are almost as disinterested in the proceedings as he is, but it was either this or lounge around in bed some more. "Where's Dante?" Nero asks. The redclad demon hunter is nowhere in sight.

"He'll show up when he wants to." Trish tells him.

"I wish he'd teach me how to do that." Lady mutters.

"Behave yourself kids," Dante says from nearby. He's stretched out in one of the dinghies by the waterfront. "Play nice and I'll take you out for ice cream."

The ship is in plain sight now, only a short ways out from the mouth of the harbor. Elsa takes a deep breath and one of her hands arches, sending a bolt of frost down to the ground. Everyone except the demon hunters jumps at the sound.

The captain turns his head slightly. "Your majesty?" he asks quietly, eyes still on the ship.

"I'm all right captain." Elsa says. "I have it under control."

"I hope so your majesty." he says, not realizing how she might take it.

Elsa tenses even more at that. Anna squeezes her hand. "He's glad you're all right." she says to Elsa. The captain, somewhat abashed, mutters his hasty agreement as the ship nears the docks.

It glides to a halt. The splash of an anchor is heard. The gangplank is lowered. A small detachment of guards from the Southern Isles disembarks. Then Prince Hans steps ashore. His clothing is rumpled, his hands are shackled together, and the beginnings of a beard can be seen about his cheeks and mouth. One of the guards nudges him none too gently, and he turns and steps forward. The captain of Arendelle's guards steps forward as well. "We'll take him from here." he says. The guard from the Southern Isles, a young-looking man with a nose slightly too small for his face, looks at his captain for permission. He nods and the young man relinquishes his captive. The captain takes him firmly by the arm and marches him up the steps to where the queen and her escort await.

"Your majesty." Hans says, bowing as deeply as he is able to.

"Prince Hans." Elsa replies coolly.

He nods to Anna. "Princess Anna." Anna's face is an almost exact reflection of her sister's. She says nothing.

"I assume you had something to do with the decision your father made in asking for my help." Elsa says.

"I did not." he says. "I know full well you have no reason to believe me-"

"And I don't."

"-but our family is...complicated."

"They must've been, to produce someone as messed up as you." Anna interjects.

"Anna..." Elsa doesn't have to say anything else. Her sister is already settling down. She turns back to Hans. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't pronounce my verdict and send you on your way." she says.

Hans is about to respond when the ground begins to shake. Everyone present struggles to keep their feet, except for Dante, who leaps to his as the dinghy he'd been laying in trembles and falls off the dock. The sky darkens into an ashen grey, and a hideous voice rings out across the land. **Tvoy put' zavershaetsa. Idi ko mne.**

Over the sudden pandemonium, Elsa hears Hans whisper, "It's happening again." She turns to ask him what he means, but suddenly something appears at her side and whisks Anna away before Elsa has time to cry out. Anna's voice hangs in the air after she's gone, leaving Elsa in the lurch. The thing appears and disappears in the blink of an eye, moving almost instantly through the crowd. Nero is left winded by a sudden punch to the gut. Lady and Trish are transported up a tree. Hans is kicked viciously down the steps and almost collides with Dante who manages to catch him only to receive a kick of his own, sending both of them into the water. Vergil is hurled into the wall of a house, and soon the rest of the crowd, Arendelle and Southern Isle guards alike, is scattered around the center of town, many of them unable to rise while the earth continues to move discomfitingly beneath them.

Then the creature appears in front of Elsa, and she gasps in horror, already backing away. It looks like it might have been human once, except its skin is blue and the sockets where its eyes should be are smooth and blank and much _much_ too big. Its mouth is fixed in a distorted parody of a grin. It's wearing some sort of tattered black robe and carrying two slender daggers, which it twirls around its fingers as it advances on her. It lets out a deep rattling croaking sound, then it stops. It looks down at the ice beneath its feet, then back at Elsa. It cocks its head just a little too far to be an entirely natural movement.

"Hey you...!" Across the square, Anna struggles to her feet and grabs at the sword of a nearby guard, who is still unable to rise. She stumbles forward, holding the sword out in front of her. "Get away from my sister." she spits.

The demon hunters are also on the move. A flash of unseasonal lightning shatters the branches around Trish. Lady, encouraged by this, kicks the branch beneath her, once, twice, until it breaks off and she rides it to the ground. Vergil forces himself to his feet and advances on the creature with hatred in his eyes. Nero follows suit. The water Dante and Hans disappeared into explodes outward as Dante rockets up with an arm around Hans's waist. Hans is choking and gasping for air, but Dante is, as always, unruffled. The creature looks around, seemingly unconcerned, though how it manages to see anything is anyone's guess. Then it waits. It waits until Anna is within striking distance and bringing the sword down in a diagonal arc before it tears a perfectly circular hole in the ground and leaps through. The hole closes up instantly behind it, and the earthquake subsides.

There follows an eerie silence, broken only by the groaning of the guards as they stand. Anna looks at the sword, almost in shock, and drops it. It lands on the cobblestones with a clatter. "Elsa." she whispers and rushes toward her sister. Elsa is curled up in a ball. Snow is swirling thickly around her. She's whimpering as Anna gathers her up in her arms. "Shh," Anna murmurs. "I'm here. That thing is _gone_. You're going to be all right."

Elsa manages to stop shivering long enough to say "Get everyone into the castle. Get Prince Hans in front of a fire until he dries off. Then put him..." She stops, and starts again. "Put him in the dungeons."

"Yes your Majesty." the captain says.

"The Southern Isle guards can stay if they wish." she adds as an afterthought.

"Yes your Majesty." he says again. He relieves Dante of the prisoner and escorts him through the front gates. Servants and staff are already running to see what the matter is, and the princess and queen are taken into the castle as well. The demon hunters are the only ones left outside. Lady and Trish are covered in scratches from the branches, as are their dresses. Dante is soaked from head to toe, but doesn't appear to be the slightest bit cold.

"Someone wanna tell me what the hell just happened?" he asks.

Vergil looks at the spot where the creature had disappeared. "Good question." he says.


	6. Dealing

"I'm _fine_, Anna." Elsa says again.

"No you're not." Anna says. "And I know that for a fact, because _I'm_ not fine." She is helping her sister up the stairs like she's an invalid. "An earthquake would have been bad enough, but a demon? You and I are going to sleep in the same room, and the same BED, all. Night. Long."

"Anna..." Elsa sighs. "What about Vergil?"

"What about Vergil?" Anna says. "He can manage on his own for another night." She opens the door to Elsa's room and helps her inside. "Hold on. Gotta get your shoes off." She kneels down to remove Elsa's icy high heels. "There. You can go ahead and get changed. I'll be right outside." She puts a hand on Elsa's shoulder for a moment and then leaves.

Outside in the corridor, she has time to reflect on what happened, though perhaps reflect is the wrong word. Rather, she smiles quietly at herself, amazed at what she had been prepared to do. "I just went toe to toe with an actual DEMON!" she mutters to herself. "I mean, it probably would've wiped the floor with me or...or worse, but still!"

Elsa can hear Anna talking to herself while she gets changed. Part of her wishes she could be proud of her little sister, but part of her can't help thinking about how sharp those daggers looked and how quickly the creature had moved. _Even Vergil wasn't ready for it_, she thinks. _It could have killed me at least a dozen times. Why _didn't_ it?_ She's so focused on her own thoughts, she only barely remembers to let Anna in.

"Do you want me to go out or..." Elsa's not sure how she should finish the sentence.

"Nahh." Anna is already starting to get undressed. She left her nightgown in here this morning, so all she has to do is throw it on over her head once she gets her current dress off. "It's nothing you haven't seen before, right?" Now she's struggling with her boots. "Go ahead and get into bed." she says, hopping up and down as she tries to get them off. "I won't...be...a...nother...minute!" She manages to get one of them off by the time Elsa climbs into bed. She's able to find some small enjoyment in watching her sister struggle with her various items of clothing while alternately complaining about the uselessness of the corset and inquiring about her sister's feelings. "Rrrg. Come onnn. Stupid...thing..." she grumbles, then "What do you think it was? I mean I know it was a demon; the face and the jumping around everywhere kind of clued me in; but...why now? Was it after Hans? Was it after you? Was it after-" She stops on seeing the look on Elsa's face. "Sorry. I'm going to...stop talking now." She giggles nervously.

"I think I'd prefer it if you didn't." Elsa says shakily.

"I know. Just...probably better to think about it in the morning instead of right now..." Anna frowns. "Wait, what time is it?"

"I don't know." Elsa says. "Everything feels so _odd_ with the light like this." She gazes out the window at the eerie grey light as her sister draws the blinds.

"Do you think it'll go back to normal?" Anna asks.

"I don't know Anna." her sister sighs. "I don't think I know anything any more."

Anna climbs into bed beside her. "Sure you do." she says to Elsa. "You know I love you right?"

Elsa smiles. "I love you too." She gives Anna a hug, which Anna returns with a twist: she doesn't let go. She keeps ahold of Elsa all through the evening and the night. It helps.

* * *

><p>No one had told Dante to stop dripping on the carpet, so he doesn't. He stands with his arms folded, looking around at his group. "Anyone ever seen that thing before?" Nero asks.<p>

Everyone except Vergil shakes their head. Lady is the closest to him, and the first to notice. "Got something to share?" she asks.

"The demons call it the Dreamrunner." he says. "It's said that it lives in people's dreams. As such, it knows all the darkest parts of human nature."

"So what's it doing in the real world?" Trish asks.

"Your guess is as good as mine for once." Vergil says. "More importantly, how do we keep it away from the queen?"

"She's already got a bodyguard." Dante says with a meaningful look at his brother.

"What about her sister?" Lady asks.

"I can take care of her." Nero says. "At least it'll keep me busy."

"I could use something like that." Trish says.

Lady turns to glare at Trish, her arms folded in front of her. "Ohh, suddenly I'm not good enough for you any more." she says.

"Now now," Trish says with her hands on her hips. "I just want something to do every now and then _besides_ you."

Nero's shoulders droop in astonishment. Vergil looks mildly nonplussed. Dante uncrosses his arms. "Whoa." he says. "When the hell'd this happen?"

Trish and Lady smirk at him. "It's actually been going on for a while now." Lady says.

Trish adds, "But you've been too busy to notice." As if to emphasize this, they leave the room very decidedly together, and Lady's hand sneaks down to grab a feel of Trish's butt. Trish returns the favor and closes the door behind them with a wink.

Dante lowers his gaze to the ground, trying to regather his thoughts. "Where were we again?" he asks.

* * *

><p>It is decided that Nero will take up his position tomorrow, once the demon hunters (Vergil refuses to be part of anything called 'the Scooby Gang', despite not knowing either of the references) have a chance to converse with Elsa and Anna. Until then, Dante advises all of them to get a good night's sleep and be ready for hell or high tide by the morning.<p>

Vergil returns to his room, but does not sleep. He stands motionless at the window all night long, with old thoughts resurfacing in his head. He hadn't been strong enough to stop the Dreamrunner, or even stand up to it. If he had his sword back it would certainly help, but what if it isn't enough? _My only option is training with Dante_, he thinks. _Perhaps he'll see fit to tell me about that boy. And if not, I'll just have to beat it out of him._

Dante sits upon his bed and thinks about anything and everything, including the briefcase the ladies had brought him, and which he'd stowed away under his bed. He wonders what kind of paradox might result from his taking the guns out of that pocket dimension. He wonders about the strangeness he's felt ever since setting foot on this island, and that barrier out at sea. He wonders how far it goes, and _why_. Then he strips off his clothes and sleeps.

Nero's arm keeps him awake most of the night. It's glowing brighter with each passing minute, and with the glowing comes a strange pulling sensation, like it's trying to get away from him. He grumbles, and tosses and turns, but finally manages to fall asleep.

Kristoff and Sven and Olaf are on their way back to Arendelle proper, with an unexpected passenger in tow. The Dreamrunner is nowhere to be found. Its partner waits for the signal. And the darkness deepens.


	7. Changes

Anna is up early the next morning. _Too early,_ she thinks. _Earlier than _Elsa_._ Elsa is still fast asleep. Her face is untroubled at least, though Anna can't help thinking as she leans over that a smile would suit her better. "I wonder what she's thinking about." she murmurs aloud.

Elsa makes a noise that defies classification and snuggles deeper into her pillow. Anna watches in fascination. "She even _sleeps _like a queen." she marvels. She props herself up on her elbow and continues to watch the gentle rising and falling of Elsa's shoulder. "You're adorable." she says. "I mean I know you're my sister and like three years older than me-" She pauses to think. "Is it three? Yeah, three." And she continues. "But still, you're adorable." She hugs Elsa hard from behind.

Suddenly Elsa trembles. "Please, no..." she whispers.

"Elsa?" Anna lets go and tries turning her sister over. "What is it? What's wrong?"

But Elsa is still sleeping. "I told you, I can't-" she says.

"Elsa!"

Elsa's eyes fly open. She's still breathing fast. "What's- Wha-" Her speech is slurred, whether from panic or the aftereffects of sleep, Anna can't tell.

"Are you okay?" she asks. _Of course she isn't_, she says to herself, but it's all she can think of to say.

"No," Elsa says. "I-I was having a...NIGHTmare..." She cringes away. "I'm fine." she says, and even Anna knows she's lying.

"It was about me wasn't it?" she asks. Elsa shakes her head. "I'm not going to leave you alone until you say yes." Anna says.

"You sound as though you already know what I'm going to say." Elsa says. "So why should I?" Anna gives her sister a look. "...Yes. It was." she admits. "But I don't want to discuss it."

"Is that the kind of 'don't want to discuss it' where you actually _do_ want to discuss it, or the kind where you don't think you can handle it?"

"What do you _think_ Anna?" Her voice comes out so much harsher than she'd meant it to, and she sees that terrible look on her sister's face again. For a moment, she forgets how to respond. Then the old habits take hold and she turns her back. She is almost to the door, forgetting that she's still in her nightgown, when Anna makes up her mind and rushes forward, wrapping her arms tight around Elsa once more.

"I'm sorry Elsa." she whispers, and her sister's heart _aches_. _What do YOU have to be sorry for?_ she asks Anna silently. "I never meant to bother you."

Elsa turns around and returns her sister's hug. She wants to break down crying, but she doesn't. "You're never a bother Anna." She hugs her sister and then she leaves.

* * *

><p>Some minutes later, she finds Dante, Vergil and Nero waiting for her in the throne room . "What can I do for you?" she asks them hesitantly.<p>

"Actually, we were hoping to talk to your sister as well." Dante says.

"I'm sorry, I don't know where Anna is at the moment." Elsa says apologetically. "I could have someone look for her." she suggests.

"Nero has already volunteered." Vergil says. "We said yes."

"Oh." Elsa looks at Nero, who sighs and resists the urge to flip off both of the brothers.

"Sure. God forbid you two ever have to do any of the busy work." He turns to Elsa. "Any idea where I should start?"

"She was upstairs the last time I saw her." Elsa says. "Though knowing her, she could be just about anywhere right now." She smiles shyly.

"So she's either upstairs or she's not." Nero drawls. "Guess I better get started then." As he leaves, he begins to wonder what he's gotten himself into.

"What is this about?" Elsa asks when the door slams shut.

"The Dreamrunner." Dante says. "The thing that came after you. We think it's going to try again."

Her heart skips a beat. "W-why me?" she asks.

"Demons don't need a reason." Vergil replies. "It probably thinks the best way of causing panic and fear is by attacking the most important person it can find."

"The people must be terrified." Elsa says, moving between the brothers on her way to the throne. "I'll have to make a public address-" She stops herself. Reliving the events in her mind has caused her to remember what Hans had said. "'It's happening again.'" she whispers.

Vergil takes a step forward. "Elsa...?"

"Hans, he- Prince Hans said something before the attack. I have to speak to him."

"Then he's coming with you." Dante says, indicating Vergil. "You and your sister should both be under guard in case that thing comes back."

Elsa bristles. "If you think you can walk in here and order us around, you are in for a VERY rude awakening."

"I'm not ordering anyone around." Dante says. "I'm asking."

And Elsa can see how misplaced her anger is. _He wants to protect me,_ she realizes. _He cares about his brother, and because of that, he cares about me. And Anna too._ Her shoulders slump. "I'm sorry." she says. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

"No hard feelings." Dante says. "You got a lot of work to do, and I can tell you didn't ask for any of it." He stands in his usual easy manner once more. "Knock 'em down kid." he grins.

Elsa smiles feebly back, then she remembers. "Vergil..." She turns. Vergil is already by her side.

"We both have things to take care of." he tells her. "Whatever else is between us, it can wait."

She nods, and leans forward to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Let's go." she says.

The doors both open. Lady, Nero, Trish and Anna all step inside. "This is going to be _so much fun_!" Anna exclaims.

"They found her first." Nero says by way of explanation.

"And we made a deal." Lady says. "Nero takes today, Trish takes tomorrow, and I get the day after."

"Rinse and repeat until the creep's taken care of." Dante says with a smile.

Vergil glowers inwardly. _I will not wait until tomorrow to retrieve my sword,_ he thinks to himself. _Perhaps if I'm lucky, Elsa and Anna will feel like spending more time together..._

* * *

><p>Their first stop is the dungeon. On the way, Elsa mulls over what to say, when to say it, and the best way to reach the most people. Vergil watches every shadow for signs of unnatural movement, keeping his body tense and ready to push Elsa out of the way of an oncoming attack. The guard on duty stands up straighter and nods in acknowledgement as Elsa approaches. She had long ago forbade them from saluting except for official ceremonies, which there had been mercifully few of since she made the proclamation. Elsa recognizes the cell they are heading to as the one she herself had been imprisoned in some months before, thanks in part to the masonry at the rear, noticeably newer than the rest.<p>

Hans is laying down on the metal cot, gazing up at the ceiling. As his mind registers the number of footsteps coming nearer, he is forced to decide between remaining prone during the conversation he has no doubt to be forthcoming or behaving as he normally would. The former has the advantage of surprise, but would be somewhat easier for the queen to prepare for. The latter is a slow-acting poison, or so he hopes.

He gets to his feet as the guard's keys rattle in the lock. "Your Majesty." he says with another stiff bow. His hands are shackled to the floor just as Elsa's had been.

Elsa too takes a moment to decide how to react. The cold is building up inside of her, but it wouldn't do for Hans to see her lose control again. She settles on a simple declaration of "Prince Hans".

"There's no need to stand on formality." he says. "Whatever choice you make, it's not likely I'll be able to use the title of 'prince' again." His gaze shifts to the silent Vergil. "I don't believe I've met your companion."

"You have not." Vergil says quietly.

"He is a son of the Dark Knight Sparda." Elsa says to Hans. "That is all you need to know."

Hans frowns. He hadn't been expecting this on any level. "The Dark Knight? He's a fairy tale!"

"You saw the creature at the docks yesterday. You know demons exist." Elsa says. She takes an impressive step forward. "But that's not all you know. You said it was happening again." She stops, dangerously close to him. "I demand to know what you saw."

Hans is not intimidated. "That's an impressive speech your majesty." he says. "But I want something out of this as well."

"You are not in a position to make demands." Elsa says vehemently.

"Of course I am." he replies. "I have something you need, and you have something I need."

"And what is that?"

"Clemency." he returns smoothly. "A pardon. Call it what you will, I want it."

"Why would I do _anything_ that you want?" Her voice is cold and brittle. "You hurt Anna."

But Hans's words are colder still. "So did you."

Elsa's heart stops. One second passes, then another, and another, and another, and another, before she remembers how to breathe. She hurries to the cell door and pounds against it. Vergil rushes to her side, but she sweeps on ahead without him as the guard opens the door. Now he looks at Hans. His eyes are blazing. "If you say one more word like that to her, pardon or not, I _will_ make you suffer."

When his guests have gone and his cell door is locked once more, Hans returns to his cot, his spirits lifted by the unexpected openings the queen and demon had left for him to see into their souls. He has much to think about.


	8. Abduction

"Anna!" Elsa cries as she stumbles through the castle. Her voice is fraying. Frost falls from her footsteps and a cold breeze billows before her. _I need my sister_, she thinks desperately.

The map of the castle in her head is a jumble of nonsense. She hardly knows where she's going. She stumbles, catches her ankle on a bit of carpeting, cries out in pain, then again in terror as something falls from the ceiling above her. The Dreamrunner croaks as it leers down at her. "Stay away!" she begs it. A bolt of ice shoots from her hand and creates a wall between her and the demon. Through the haze of the ice and pain and fear, she sees it recoil instinctively before straightening _much _too suddenly, with an almost audible creaking sound, and disappearing through one of its portals. There's a moment of horrible silence while Elsa looks around frantically, searching for the first sign of a new portal. There. The wall on her right. It's her turn to react instinctively, and a thick shield of ice appears just in front of the rapidly widening hole in the wall. The Dreamrunner hisses angrily and retreats once more. _There's only one place left for it to go_, Elsa thinks, raising her hand toward the ceiling. A cluster of icicles appear, covering her from above, but there's nothing behind it. She realizes what's about to happen mere fractions of a second before the portal appears _beneath _her and a pale blue hand reaches out and seizes her by the arm. She screams as it pulls her under...

* * *

><p>Dante arrives moments later to find Vergil standing ankle-deep in snow and staring fixedly at the ice scattered about the hall. He is just as stone-faced as he had been at Temen-Ni-Gru. "You had <em>one<em> job." Dante says to his brother.

Their eyes meet over the jagged crystals. They're silent until Anna arrives, gasping for breath. She gasps for a different reason as she takes in the scene. "Wh-what happened? Where's Elsa?" she asks.

"The Dreamrunner took her." Dante says flatly.

"You can go after it right?" He's silent again. "You're not just going to abandon her...?"

Nero and the women arrive next. They're breathing hard and double over."She's a lot faster than she looks." the young man says.

Vergil's gaze shifts to Nero. "You." he says and forces his way through the ice. "Give me my sword." His voice is cold and menacing.

"Haven't you ever heard of 'finders keepers'?" Nero wheezes.

"Allow me to rephrase that." There is a flash of azure lightning and Vergil is revealed in his demon form. **"Give me my sword, or I'll take it back, with interest."**

Nero scoffs. "Oh yeah?" The glow of his Devil Bringer strengthens until it erupts into a horrific phantom behind and above him. **"You and what army?"**

The half-demon's eyes rove over the specter at the young man's command. **"So that's where it is." **he muses. **"It's been under my nose the whole time."**

"**Your brother said I could keep it." **Nero and the thing retort in unison. **"I'm not gonna give it up without a fight." **The spirit points its sword at Vergil.

Dante sighs and shakes his head. "You guys don't see it do you?" He rounds on Vergil. "It's doing exactly what you thought it would: it's causing panic and fear. What better way than kidnapping the queen?"

"**This isn't your concern Dante." **Vergil rumbles. **"It never has been." **He starts walking slowly, deliberately, towards Nero. **"Once I have my sword, I will be able to open portals more powerful than the ones that the Dreamrunner uses, to anywhere and any time of my choice."**

"And...you can save Elsa right?" Anna asks.

The half-demon looks at her. He nods.

"Come on. Don't think you're gettin' into a fight without me!" Dante flashes red and assumes his own demon form. **"We're not gonna do this inside. Too many possible casualties."**

"Who says we're going to let you fight?" Lady asks. She and Trish step forward.

"**Now we're definitely not doing it inside." **Dante says. **"Listen, it's like I said to the kid. This has got to stay in the family." **He doesn't want to hurt any of them, save for one.

"**No more talk." **Vergil growls. **"This ends now." **

"Could everyone SHUT UP FOR A MINUTE?!" Everyone stops and looks at Anna. She stands with her hands on her hips, angrier than she can ever remember being. "None of this is helping Elsa." she says. "And if any of you REALLY loved her, that's what you'd be focusing on." she adds.

"**I don't even know her." **Nero mutters.

"Try it some time." Anna says. "You might even like her half of a half as much as I do!" She looks back to the group as a whole. "Now I'm not some big devil hunter. I didn't even know they existed until a couple weeks ago! But I wish I was!" Her eyes are brimming with tears. "Then I could- I could DO something instead of standing around arguing with YOU!" There's a slightly embarrassed silence while she struggles not to cry. Vergil is the first to return to himself, followed shortly by Dante. For Nero, it takes a bit more effort, but he manages to force the spirit back into his arm. Trish heaves a sigh, while Lady looks like she wants to give Anna a hug.

"New plan." Dante says. "How good are you at using that thing kid?"

Nero shrugs. "I can cut things up all right if that's what you're talking about."

"As a matter of fact it is." Dante replies. He beckons the younger man over to the prison Elsa had made for herself. "It looks like the Dreamrunner can make portals into the demon world. That's how it gets around so fast. Normally they're only strong enough to let one of the lesser breed of demons through at a time, but..." He looks thoughtfully at the ice. "Thing about the sword is, it's sharp. Reaaaaal sharp. Sharp enough to open up those holes again." Vergil nods about a quarter of an inch in approval of Dante's plan. Nero does too.

"So what you're saying is, I cut a hole in thin air and I can go in after her?" he asks. Anna's eyes lift off the ground.

"Exactly." Dante says. He gestures to the ice on the wall. "Knowing Elsa, she was probably trying to plug 'em up before the Dreamrunner could get through. We'll start with that one."

"Start what?" Nero asks. "How am I supposed to do this?"

Vergil tries to explain. "If our theory is correct, the Dreamrunner's actions have weakened the barriers between the worlds. Not enough to be a threat, but enough for us to use." He looks at Nero with a trace of his former anger. "This would be easier if you returned it to me." Nero raises a finger in response. "Then take the sword and _cut_." Vergil says in exasperation.

"That's it?" Nero's not buying it.

"You'll know it when you feel it. Or not."

Anna rolls her eyes. "That's not helpful." she scolds him.

"There's only so much I can tell him." Vergil says. "It relies more on instinct than knowledge. Like fighting."

"The portal can only stay open for a short amount of time." Dante adds. "Once you're in there, you're on your own."

Nero looks at Yamato, which has manifested itself in his right hand. "Always did wonder why those things were so desperate to escape..." he says. Then he raises it and slashes the air in one swift motion. The ice crystals fall to the floor and shatter, and a shimmering blue hole appears where they had been. Nero stares into it. "If I don't make it," he says. "Tell Kyrie I died doing what I believe in."

"No better way to go out." Dante says. "Except not going out at all." He jerks a thumb at the hole. "You come back in one piece or I'm coming in after you." he says.

Nero nods and takes a running jump into the portal. It closes up moments after.

* * *

><p>Elsa comes to her senses, or what's left of them, in hell. It must be. Yes, it's white and brightly lit, but there's something horrible about the proportions of the cathedral-like background that brings to mind a fever dream, where one's sense of perspective is lost and one can feel the world spinning away around them, and how acutely aware one becomes of just how small one really is.<p>

She forces her gaze away from the dizzying scenery and sits up, looking around for the demon that had brought her here. It's nowhere in sight. She shivers. It's hard to stay focused. The wrongness of the environment dulls her senses and makes speech an impossibility. She tries to come up with a plan, but a plan would necessitate an understanding of her surroundings, something she deems impossible for a human mind like hers.

Should she go forward or stand still and hope (in vain) for rescue? _I've been standing still all my life,_ she thinks hazily. _I need to...I need to move on._

She gets up and takes a step forward, only to have her ankle remind her quite shrilly of the condition she'd left it in, and collapses to the ground. She gasps involuntarily as the pain continues to course through her, and curls in on herself. The fear and disorientation prove to be too much. Darkness takes her.


	9. Searching

Author's Note: Fair warning here. Things are going to get slightly...different from here on out.

The humanity in Nero is alternately appalled and transfixed by what he sees. His demonic side revels in the power that surrounds him, and against his wishes, forcibly emerges from his arm. He struggles to remember why he came here. **"The queen..."** he says at last. Then he doubles over in pain. **"Gyuhhh!" **It's getting harder to control. It wants more than he is willing to give it.

He kneels there, panting, for a while before he's able to get back on his feet. **"I better hurry."** he says through gritted teeth, and staggers forward.

* * *

><p>She doesn't know when she woke up. She doesn't know when she thought of using her powers to make a cast to support her ankle. She doesn't know why she decided to start walking. She doesn't know where she is. She doesn't know what she's looking at. She doesn't know anything except the rhythm of putting one foot in front of the other to bring herself closer to something she's missing.<p>

She doesn't think about the strangeness of the world any more, or about the stairs that come from nowhere and seem to bend reality (or unreality as the case may be) around them, so that even if she is walking sideways or upside down she's still on her feet, still moving forward even if she doesn't know where forward will lead. She doesn't care at this point; she just wants to leave. Anywhere is better than nowhere.

The cathedral starts to dim.

Still she trudges on.

The cathedral disappears.

The floor disappears.

She's in a void.

Still she trudges on.

She can hardly be said to be walking. Nothing is changing. There are no signs of progress.

Still she trudges on.

A red and yellow eye appears before her. She stops and stares at it.

"_Do you wish to become strong?"_ the eye asks. Its voice is deep but pleasant.

Strong... Strong enough to bear the doubt? To love the same way her sister loves? Freely? Without regret? "No." she says at last. Her voice is faint. "I- I'm already strong." As she speaks, she knows the words to be true. "I want... I want to be... I want to be _free._"

"_Free..."_ the voice purrs. _"What is it like to be free?"_

Somehow she knows what to do. "Let me show you." she says. She holds out her arms to the eye, and it comes closer. And closer. And closer. And closer, until it burns atop her heart. The fire spreads into the center of her being.

For a moment, Elsa IS free.

* * *

><p>The floating hunks of rock that serve as walkways in this section of the Demon World appear unwilling to let Nero follow the trail of snow that hangs in the air. More than once he has to use his demonic arm to forcibly rearrange them into the path he desires. Then, when they refuse to even budge, he's forced to leap between them, unable to tarry long due to their insidious wobbling in their efforts to shake him loose.<p>

When he finds himself on sturdier ground, he stops for a moment to gather his bearings. The snow leads on a fair distance ahead until it reaches what looks to be a wall at the edge of reality. Nothing but darkness is visible beyond it, and he has a feeling things are going to be even stranger on the other side. **"I need to find a way to get that thing's attention." **Nero realizes. **"Otherwise we're gonna have a little trouble getting back."**

There's the acrid taste of demonic magic in the air. Nero dives to the side as a bolt of hellfire comes crashing down where he had been standing. A winged goatlike creature the color of freshly spilled blood circles down from above and bellows at him. **"Heh, you guys looking at barnyards for ideas now?" **Nero chuckles. **"Gotta say, I preferred the knights in armor."**

It dives in for the attack, hooves and claws ready to rend and tear. Nero sends a phalanx of phantom swords hurtling upwards at the creature while he grasps Yamato's hilt in anticipation...

* * *

><p>In the forever-nighted portion of the Demon World, lightning flashes. There are no clouds in the sky, no sky to speak of. The lightning is coming from the clothes that are fastening themselves around Elsa, shredding her beautiful ice dress into tatters as they do. She struggles not to cry out. The power she had felt on first embracing the thing is only growing stronger. Every muscle and fiber in her body is shrieking in agony, much the way her ankle had shrieked at her before, only <strong>far<strong> more intense. At last the pain is too much for her, and she makes the same kind of desperate sound that she had made so long ago at the top of the North Mountain. Jagged chunks of ice fly out in every direction, not just horizontally but vertically as well. This time, there is no sister for her to injure or almost kill; just a vast empty space for the ice to dissipate into. At the same time as the ice breaks free, one final burst of lightning shoots up into the void and illuminates the plane on which she is standing. Blank featureless terrain stretches on for miles. Would this be Purgatory? The pain disappears, even in her ankle, leaving Elsa sorer than before but also more awake. "What was that?" she says, gasping for breath.

"_That was me."_ the voice says. _"I am Senketsu, and my power is yours if you wish it."_

"Senketsu...?"

"_Yes. It means 'fresh blood'. It is fitting when you consider what I must have. But we can speak more later. There are demons approaching."_

"Demons?" Elsa looks about her.

"_No doubt summoned by the energy you unleashed when you put me on. But they are not aware of its true extent." _She feels the entity draw her attention to the fingerless glove that is now on her right hand. _"That glove you have on is a Seki Tekkō." _Senketsu explains. _"It will allow you to draw blood for me to use. In return, I can let you use more of my power than what you already possess."_

Elsa's skin crawls. "I don't like the sound of that..." she says.

"_All power comes at a price Elsa, Queen of Arendelle."_

Her eyes snap down to her clothes, though she cannot actually see them. "How do you know who I am?" she demands.

"_I feel as if I was made for you to wear. More than this, I do not know." _Something cackles in the distance. _"They are almost here!" _Senketsu says. _"Do you think you can defeat them without me?"_

Elsa readies herself, though she knows it's probably pointless. "I've been on my own most of my life." she says. "And I am not defenseless." The ice is waiting at her fingertips. It feels stronger than it's ever been.

"_I see."_ the voice says, quietly impressed. _"Nevertheless I will help you as much as I can."_ The cackling sounds again, louder this time. _"Behind you!"_ Senketsu cries. Elsa turns and lets loose with a blast of snow. She feels it connect with something and send it spiraling away. _"Well done."_ Senketsu says. Elsa feels a rush of something utterly alien to her: something like pride... But pride goeth before a fall, so the old books say, so she tramples on it.

"I'm just trying to stay alive." she tells both Senketsu and herself at the same time.

* * *

><p>Nero has just about had it with this darkness. He has no idea where he's going, where Elsa is, or where he's coming from. He forces more power out of his demonic half, and is grimly gratified to see a blue glow around his feet. <strong>"Better than nothing." <strong>he says, trying to ignore the pain his demon blood is causing his human blood. Somewhere out in front of him, he hears the sound of ice being fired again and again, among a myriad of other noises that could only ever come from demons. He sprints off in the general direction of the battle, hoping he'll get there before it's too late.

He's surrounded by a sea of horrific entities, invisible in the darkness, all of them writhing, gibbering, flailing, squawking, shrieking and steadfastly ignoring him in search of a bigger prize towards the center of this great expanse of nothingness.

Some time later, he sees a flash of white at the edge of his aura and barely manages to roll underneath it in time. He continues dodging ice and other less savory things as the sounds start to grow louder. **"Elsa!"** he calls. **"Hold on, I'm coming!"**

He almost runs into her. She cowers away from the light surrounding him, a long white arm draped protectively across her eyes. "Who's there?" she cries.

"**It's Nero." **he says. **"There're a whole lot of demons coming this way; we gotta move!"**

"Go? Go where?" she says. "We're trapped here!"

He holds up Yamato. **"Not exactly." **he says with a grin. **"Just gotta hope the demon who brought you here was nice enough to follow the trail."**

There's a familiar groan nearby. Nero waves Yamato about tauntingly. **"Come on out, freak." **he calls. **"Not so tough when we're ready for ya, huh?"**

He senses something hurtling towards him and leaps backward out of the way of the creature's twin stabs as it comes hurtling out of a portal somewhere to his right. He slashes at it as it retreats, and Yamato carves deep into the creature's cheek. It croaks in surprise, and Nero recognizes the sound its portals make when opened. There's a brief flash of overwhelming light as the Dreamrunner escapes, then darkness takes over again. Elsa throws up a wall of frost so potent that it chills even Nero to the bone. He grabs her by the arm. **"I told your sister I was going to get you out or die trying." **he shouts over the baying of the demonic horde. **"And I sure as hell don't feel like dying today!"** He slashes a hole in the air once more. The light that pours out blinds everyone and everything in the area, refracting off of the ice for an even more potent display. **"Uh, no pun intended." **he says. Elsa frowns in his direction, her eyes still tightly shut against the light, and he dives through the portal with her in tow.


	10. Adjusting

p class="western"Everyone passes the time in their own way. Trish and Dante are cleaning up. Trish lifts the hunks of ice off the floors and walls or blasts them off the ceiling with bolts of electricity and tosses them to Dante who takes them outside to dispose of later. Lady stands by Anna and says nothing. Anna is grateful for the company. Vergil stands in the center of the hallway, not looking at anyone else. And they wait./p  
>p class="western"After a while, the hall erupts into a cacophony of sound. A hole appears in the wall, some ways away from where the group has been waiting. The Dreamrunner leaps through and opens another on the opposite side. The cavalry, however, is quick to react. Dante and Vergil break into movement, but even they are unable to reach the portal before it closes. A few seconds later, however, another one opens up and Nero and Elsa come tumbling out. A hideous array of independent appendages reach out after them, their owners screaming horribly. Nero, exhausted from his struggle through the Demon World, is almost overcome. "Elsa!" Anna screams. Lady covers her as she makes for her sister, who stops unleashing a gale force wind into the portal and looks for the source of the noise. The Dreamrunner pokes its head out and croaks menacingly, only for Dante to drive one of Lucifer's shimmering red blades into the hitherto uninjured side of its face. It howls again, louder than ever before. "Get him out of here!" Dante yells to Trish, who'd been hot on his heels. He indicates Nero with a nod.p  
>p class="western"The next few seconds are a blur of Elsa running into Anna's arms, Anna running into Elsa's arms, Trish helping Nero away, Lady helping Trish help Nero away, and Vergil and Dante standing side by side at the portal, Dante throwing blades into the portal and over to Vergil alternately, Vergil using his blades to parry incoming attacks before riposting to devastating effect.p  
>p class="western"A momentary lull while the demons stagger back to regroup is all Dante needs. He throws a parting rose over his shoulder as the portal slams shut. He turns to Vergil. "Well." he says. "That was refreshing."p  
>p class="western"Vergil grins. "We should find an excuse to do that more often." Then his eyes drift over Dante's shoulder to look for the queen. What he finds surprises him. Elsa and Anna are hugging, nothing new there, but Elsa is not wearing the ice dress he had last seen her in. Instead she's wearing a black shirt with sleeves that come down to around her elbows and a emveryem short black skirt. The shirt exposes her midriff. The skirt exposes her hypnotically long legs. "Where did you find that?" Vergil asks./p  
>p class="western"Anna lets go for a moment and takes in her sister's new outfit. "Uhh..." is all she can say.p  
>p class="western"Elsa looks down at herself. "Oh goodness!" she says. She blushes heavily. "I didn't realize that's what you looked like."p  
>p class="western""emWho are these people?" emSenketsu asks./p  
>p class="western""This is my sister Anna." Elsa says. "The man in red is named Dante, the one on the floor is Nero-"p  
>p class="western""Um Elsa?" Anna asks, embarrassed by proxy. "Who are you talking to?"p  
>p class="western"Elsa frowns. "I'm...talking to Senketsu." she says. Everyone looks blank. "You can't hear him...?"p  
>p class="western""You and Anna are the only ones saying anything." Trish says.p  
>p class="western""It's okay Elsa!" Anna says. "Kristoff has Sven! And I've got Joan! You're never too old to have an imaginary friend!"p  
>p class="western""He's not imaginary," Elsa says with a touch of exasperation. "He's- Hold on... JOAN?"p  
>p class="western"Anna scuffs her foot against the stone. "Probably should've held off on that..." she mumbles.p  
>p class="western"Vergil comes up from behind. "Elsa." he says. He'd thought he'd lost her, but for one reason or another, he can't quite bring himself to say it. Elsa turns and kisses him, and for those who know Elsa, this is unusual for two reasons: first, her desire to avoid untoward displays of public affection; second, her predilection for the other party to initiate contact. But predilections can waver, and she has just been through a tremendous ordeal. em"And who is this?" emSenketsu asks. She tries telling him she'll answer him later without moving her mouth, but it doesn't seem to work. He reaches that conclusion on his own however. em"Elsa? You're busy aren't you? Fine. I will wait." /em/p  
>p class="western"Dante walks over to Nero. "How's it hanging?" he asks.p  
>p class="western""Next time, he gets the sword." Nero groans.p  
>hr   
>p class="western"All five of them escort Vergil and Elsa to the throne room at the latter's request. Anna takes the chance to hug Elsa while she's still able to. It's too soon for either of the sisters to express how they felt, so for now they're just quietly holding onto one another. Elsa makes some cursory efforts to come up with a speech for the citizens of Arendelle, but her mind refuses to focus.p  
>p class="western"Trish breaks the metaphorical ice. "Did you have that made to order?" she asks Elsa.p  
>p class="western"Elsa shrinks a little and looks away. "Actually, it felt as though he was waiting for me..."p  
>p class="western""Hold on." Trish says. "You're telling me you of all people found a set of clothes in the Demon World and just happened to feel like putting them on?"p  
>p class="western""He spoke to me." Elsa says. "He asked me what I wanted..." She is suddenly very aware of how this must sound. Had she been under a spell? Did Senketsu put all of this together just so she would put him on? She looks down at the eye below her left shoulder. It looks back up at her. "I must be going crazy." she murmurs.p  
>p class="western""I went crazy once." Anna announces.p  
>p class="western""You did?" Elsa asks in astonishment.p  
>p class="western""Yup. But I came back didn't I?" She squeezes Elsa's shoulders. Then, seeing Elsa's continued confusion, she attempts to mime sideburns.p  
>p class="western"Elsa's face settles into a smile as it all clicks together. She squeezes Anna back. "If that's as crazy as you get, I don't think anyone has anything to worry about!"p  
>p class="western"Her usual swarm of advisers buzzes over to her as she and her escort arrive in the throne room. "It's nothing to worry about." she says wearily. "The demon...attacked, but it has been dealt with." She looks at them each in turn, attempting to convince them of her apparent calmness. "I need to make a statement to the people; I need a pen and...and some paper."p  
>p class="western""Belay that." Anna says, inserting herself between Elsa and her advisers. "strongIstrong say you need at least half an hours' rest before any royal...monarchal duties." she tells her sister firmly./p  
>p class="western""Anna, you don't say 'belay' unless you're at sea." Elsa says. "Besides-"p  
>p class="western""No!" Anna takes her by the arm and marches her over to her throne. "No besides, no buts..." She sits Elsa down and sits down in her lap to try and keep her there. "Just you, me, and this chair for half an hour."p  
>p class="western"Elsa doesn't whine. Elsa grumbles. "Annaaaaa..." Elsa pushes at her sister's back before looking over Anna's shoulder at the assembled onlookers, asking for their help with her eyes. Anna crosses her arms and glares forbodingly at them. Elsa tries a different tack. "This isn't very relaxing." she says. Anna's response is to lean back and put her arms around her, resting her head upon Elsa's cheek. "This is...better." Elsa has to admit.p  
>p class="western"Suddenly the doors open, and Kai appears between them. "Master Bjorgman has returned, your majesty." he says. The ice harvester stumbles in after him.p  
>p class="western""Kristoff!" Anna cries and hurries to his side. "What happened?" she asks, her gaze darting all over his dishevelled form.p  
>p class="western""A lot of things." he says wearily. Trish heads off to get him a chair. "There was a voice...in my HEAD; I-"p  
>p class="western"Elsa holds up her hands. "Slow down." she tells him. He does, somewhat bewildered. "Breathe." He does. "Gather your bearings. Then start at the beginning." Her words are terse, but her tone and her face are warmth itself.p  
>p class="western"Trish returns with a stack of chairs in her arms. "How do you emdoem that?" Anna asks in amazement as she sets them down./p  
>p class="western""A lot of luck and a lot of hard work" is Trish's answer. She slides one of the chairs under Kristoff, who collapses into it with a grateful sigh. She passes the rest of the chairs around, and soon they're all crowded in a circle in the center of the room. Elsa comes to join them, feeling uncomfortable all by herself upon the throne.p  
>p class="western""I was up in the mountains with Olaf and Sven," Kristoff says. "And I heard this emvoiceem, or I emfelt /emit, and...and I honestly don't think I have ever been that afraid before in my entire life." Anna squeezes his hand, though hers is about half its size. "I went to see Grand Pabbie, because he knows magic better than anyone. And when I was talking with him, it happened again, and the trolls just stopped. Every one of them. That takes serious effort."/p  
>p class="western""Did he just say 'trolls'?" Nero asks the person on his left. Dante grins.p  
>p class="western""Then Grand Pabbie says 'Kristoff' in the voice he always uses when things don't look good. 'I am afraid Arendelle is only the beginning of this,' he says. 'The Sons of Sparda must hear of this. All three of them.'"p  
>p class="western""Hold on." Dante says amidst the sudden commotion. "Sparda only had two sons. I'm pretty sure I'd remember having another brother around."p  
>p class="western""As would I." Vergil adds. "Perhaps the troll's going senile."p  
>p class="western""I'm just telling you what he told me." Kristoff says. "You guys wanna go talk to him, be my guests." He sighs again. "I need a bath. A HOT bath." He looks at Anna. "Coming princess?"p  
>p class="western"Anna blushes. Elsa nudges her. "Go onem.em" she whispers, and Anna is only too happy to oblige./p  
>p class="western""Brothers." Nero scoffs as the door closes. "You're too old to be my brothers."p  
>p class="western""And you're too young to be related to us. You're what, 19?"p  
>p class="western""I'm 21."p  
>p class="western"Dante does the math. "Nope. Dad had already left at that point."p  
>p class="western""Where did he go?" Lady asks.p  
>p class="western""Who knows? Who cares?" Dante responds flippantly. "I barely even remember him at this point." Vergil looks at Dante, intrigued by this revelation.p  
>p class="western""I'd say it's been half an hour, wouldn't you?" Elsa asks the demon hunters now that she's certain Anna is out of range. Everybody nods. "Then, if you'll excuse me, I have a speech to prepare." They all stand dutifully as she leaves the room, though the advisers endeavor to be heard over one another, then Dante jerks his head after her while looking pointedly at Nero. Nero sighs and follows her.p  
>hr   
>p class="western"Elsa is halfway through the speech when she hears his voice again. em"Elsa?"em Senkentsu asks./p  
>p class="western"She puts down her pen. "Senketsu!" she says. "I'm sorry, I...forgot."p  
>p class="western"He laughs, if clothing can be said to laugh, and if laughter can be silent. em"It is fine."em he says. em"You seem to be very busy."/em/p  
>p class="western"Elsa sighs. "This is what being queen entails." she tells him. "Being busy." She picks up her pen. "Right now, I'm writing a speech that I have to deliver...about demons." She frowns. "Are you a demon?" she asks.p  
>p class="western""emI do not know."em Senketsu replies. em"I do not remember much before you woke me, only my name and what I can do."/em/p  
>p class="western""I don't know what to make of you." Elsa admits. "I trusted you FAR too quickly, and that is never a good sign." She gets goosebumps again. "I should take you off."p  
>p class="western""emWait!"em Senketsu cries. em"Please, do not take me off. I do not want to go back to sleep!"/em/p  
>p class="western""I'm not going to throw you out." she says. "I just want time to get to know you." She lifts the uniform over her head. She feels it struggle disconcertingly as she does.p  
>p class="western""emStop! Please!"em it says. em"I...I have grown fond of the feel of your skin!"/em/p  
>p class="western"Elsa places Senketsu on the table and frowns at him while she rebuilds her ice dress. "THAT is entirely too familiar for our first day of knowing each other." she says. "You're going to have to work very hard to regain my trust." She isn't sure why she's telling him all this. Perhaps it's the feeling of innocence in his voice that reminds her of Olaf. Elsa makes a note to check up on Olaf after the speech. She wonders if he'd heard the voice the way Kristoff had.p  
>p class="western"She sits down again and resumes her speechwriting. Her gaze only occasionally drifts off the paper and onto Senketsu's one eye. He's stopped talking. Probably planning another line of attack.p  
>p class="western" p  
>p class="western"She sees a snowflake land upon her paper and with another sigh, she waves her hands to dispel the sudden flurry. She wishes things didn't have to be so complicated. emThen again,em she reflects, emthat's what it's like being the queen./em/p 


	11. Addressing

There's a knock on the door. "Elsa." someone says. "It's me, uh, your highness. Nero."

Elsa takes a moment to check that her dress is in order before she calls out, "Come in."

The door opens. "Hey." Nero says. "I'm just here to keep an eye on you. You know, cause of the demons." He closes the door behind him.

_He's embarrassed,_ Elsa realizes. _I wonder why. _"I admit I'd forgotten, myself." she says over her shoulder to try and put him at ease. "And, for future reference, so someone doesn't yell at you, the correct form of address is 'your Majesty'." She clenches her hands in front of her so he cannot see, hoping it doesn't sound stuffy.

"Huh. Always wondered about that." Silence while both of them try to figure out what to say. "I see you took that thing off." Nero ventures at last.

"Yes." She is unable to refrain from casting a look at Senketsu, and says nothing more. Then, "I haven't gotten a chance to thank you for coming to my rescue." she says. "Thank you."

Nero shrugs. "Don't mention it. I was in the right place at the right time." he says dismissively.

"Anna told me what you said." Elsa says.

"She did?"

Elsa nods delicately. "It makes you even braver. You were willing to leave someone who loves you to save someone you hardly know." She can't bring herself to speak of the parallels to her sister, or even to think about them for too long. "I can't begin to tell you how much that means to me-"

"From what I've seen, I think you and...the woman I care about, you'd get along great." Nero says. "Maybe once this is all done I can take you to meet her."

The thought of leaving her homeland makes Elsa even more uneasy, but she strives to mask it. "I will be glad to take it into consideration." she says. "If you don't mind, I...I think I'll get back to my writing."

Some time later, Vergil arrives. His pace slows upon seeing Nero standing guard. He comes to a stop in front of him. "Thank you" is all he says.

"You're welcome" is all Nero says back.

Vergil waits for Elsa to find a suitable stopping point. He can tell from the subtle changes in her posture that she knows he's there, and he takes the moment to think of what he wants to say. Everything he comes up with, however, is something he would not wish Nero to overhear.

Nero's gotten good at reading people too. "Guess I better go check on Anna." he excuses himself. He eyes the pair with something approaching jovial disdain. "Y'all have fun now."

Again, he closes the door behind him.

Finally, Elsa is finished. She puts down her pen, notices how much her hands are shaking, and turns to Vergil. "Hi." she says, and wonders why she's suddenly so nervous.

Vergil's not sure what he should do. "I thought I was never going to see you again." he says.

"So did I." she says. Someone kisses someone else; it's never clear who. Then Elsa finds herself lying flat on the desk with Vergil on top of her. Not an unpleasant surprise by any stretch of the imagination. Her hands hold his face against hers, and they kiss as though it's their first time all over again. It's a passion born of desperation and the joint realization that all they have could crumble in less than a moments' notice. Yet it's also strangely tame. Through some unspoken agreement they leave their clothes where they are. Even with their recent separation due to circumstances beyond their control, there are still moments when they can sense what the other is or is not willing to give. And it's a reluctance they both share, yet one they have not openly given voice to. They are not ready for a family. They are not sure they ever will be.

So they kiss, and they hold each other, and they kiss each other again, trying desperately to make the outside world go away.

* * *

><p>Nero, Dante and Vergil accompany Elsa to the balcony where she will make her speech. Anna arrives late due to her bath with Kristoff, which Nero had politely but definitively NOT been invited to. Her hair is still damp as she squeezes in beside her sister, who's running over the speech in her mind. "Hi. Sorry." she whispers, giving Elsa a peck on the cheek. "Didn't mean to keep you waiting!"<p>

"We weren't waiting long." Elsa reassures her.

Dante comes in from the balcony. "Looks like everyone's here." he says. "Want me to go out and warm them up for you?"

Elsa shakes her head. "If it's all the same to you, I think we'd better get this over with." she replies with an awkward little smile.

"You're the boss." he says, and he holds an arm out towards the balcony. Elsa steps out, followed closely by Anna, and the applause raises a few eyebrows among the demon hunters.

"People of Arendelle," Elsa says when the applause begins to fade. "I have no doubt you all felt the earthquake yesterday afternoon. These occurrences are uncommon, but not entirely without precedence. The literature of 1698 mentions a similar-"

"What about the voices?" someone asks.

Elsa blinks. "We have also noticed these voices." she admits hesitantly. "And while we are as yet unaware of the sources, we have...compelling reasons to suspect them to be of demonic nature."

There are gasps and horrified mutterings among the crowd. Elsa raises her voice to be heard above them. "I do not make these claims lightly." she says. "I was...I was witness to an incident during the earthquake-" The noise grows louder, as does the panic in Elsa's head. "-in which, uh..." Her first royal address is not going as smoothly as she had planned.

Anna takes over. "Everyone is fine, annnnnd we're going to try and keep it that way! We're gonna have guards around the town, and if anyone has any questions, we have a couple of experts on hand that would be more than happy to answer them. Okay? Good! Meeting adjourned!" She hustles her trembling sister out of view.

Inside, there is another commotion as all three of the demons clamor to be heard at once. Elsa recoils instinctively. Anna offers them an apologetic smile. "I know, I know... It seemed like a good idea at the time." she says.

Dante is the first to speak. "On the one hand, you did a good job getting her out of there. On the other hand," he says. "I didn't sign up for a meet-and-greet." He's not exactly smiling any more.

"You'll be FINE." she tells him. "Of course we're going to need to plan this sooner rather than later, and I don't even know where we should start..."

Vergil makes a suggestion. "I will help Elsa. You should go find the woman and Trish." he says to Anna. "I'm sure they would be happy to help."

"But she-" Anna starts to say.

"You expect me to let you just walk off with the dame?" Dante asks. "You're the closest any of us come to an actual party planner."

"You'll just have to handle it without me." Vergil says. "You've managed to do all right the past thirteen years." He offers his arm to Elsa, who takes it slowly.

"Guy sure knows how to make an exit." Nero says enviously.

Anna watches them go, an uncomfortable new emotion stirring inside her.

* * *

><p>Vergil walks leisurely around the castle with Elsa at his side. At times she feels as though she wants to say something, but when she turns to look at him the words seem to dry up and blow away. As they pass by one of the only full-length mirrors in the castle, she is suddenly struck by how regal they both look. His hand is clasping hers, which in turn is clasping his arm. She wonders how regal she would look in Senketsu, and is suddenly very thankful for her change of heart. <em>They probably would have laughed me out of town if they'd seen me wearing it,<em> she thinks to herself. _No. He's a him, not an it._ She doesn't know why she's so sure about that, or why, despite her history, she is so eager to trust him. _He speaks in a voice that only I can hear. He says he was MADE for me to wear. And he doesn't know anything about himself._ Elsa repeats these things to herself again and again until she realizes that she is beginning to frost over Vergil's sleeve. She flinches, but once more to her credit does not pull away.

Vergil is content just to be able to spend time with Elsa. He doesn't know why he feels as though things have become different between them, but he wishes it would stop. He resolves to put an end to this unfinished business about his sword, and to fix whatever's come undone in this relationship.

"I'm afraid." Elsa says. "I'm afraid of demons, of Hans, of myself, of talking clothes-" She realizes with a sigh how ridiculous all of this sounds. "I just want things to be normal again, or...as normal as they can be, with a snow queen..."

Vergil is silent for a long time. "I don't know what normal is." he finally says. "I don't think I'd trust anyone who said they did. You wouldn't be who you are if you'd ever been 'normal'."

"I don't _like_ who I am." Elsa says, half in anger and half in tears.

Vergil turns her face to his. "I do." he says, and kisses her. He can feel a tear roll down her cheek and land upon his. He wipes it away and kisses her again. Her lips are not as smooth and soft as they once were. They're cracked and dry from her struggle through the Demon World, but he loves them all the same.

"I love you." she says when it ends. "I just...I'm not ready for..." She's said it before; why can't she say it again?

He nods. "I know." There doesn't seem to be anything left to say about that, so he changes topic. "Tell me about the thing you were wearing."

"His name is Senketsu." Elsa says. "He speaks to me. At least I THINK he does; maybe I've gone insane."

"Everyone's hearing voices these days." Vergil says dryly. "What does he say?"

"He-he wants to know me. He says he doesn't remember anything except for his name and what he does. He says he needs blood to give me power."

Vergil's face darkens. "That's the most dangerous kind of contract. Blood magic can make the victim do just about anything." He frowns. "Maybe I should find a way to speak with this 'Senketsu'."

"I could interpret him for you." Elsa offers.

"That just might work." Vergil says. "But it'll have to wait. You need rest."

"I feel FINE." she says with a smile.

"You wouldn't lie to me, would you?" Vergil asks, pulling her in close.

"I'll try not to." she murmurs, her smile broadening. She means it too.

"Good..." He kisses her again.

* * *

><p>"Senketsu?" Elsa lays a hand on still thinks it's a bit odd how Elsa appears to be talking to a shirt and skirt, but he can't deny that the eye on the left shoulder, which had been closed, opens when Elsa says its name.<p>

"_You've returned." _Senketsu says to Elsa. _"Are we on speaking terms again?"_

"We have a couple of questions." Elsa says quietly.

"_We?" _Senketsu's eye focuses on Vergil. _"Ah. I remember this man's face, though I do not believe we have been introduced."_

"His name is Vergil." Elsa looks at him as well. "He's my..." She struggles to find the right word. Boyfriend, lover, fiancee; none seem to fit. "I love him." she says at last.

"_I see."_ Senketsu says. _"I trust you will be happy together." _He looks back up at Elsa. _"You said you had questions for me?"_

"Yes." Elsa sits down beside where Senketsu is resting on the table. "Do you _really_ need my blood?" The thought of needles, or whatever else he might use to draw blood, makes her queasy.

"_Yes." _Senketsu says. _"I can use it to power myself, and I can share that power with you. The blood resides in me; it will not be sent anywhere else."_

Vergil looks at Elsa for confirmation. Elsa whispers "yes" to him, and then asks Senketsu, "I don't want to be rude, but..." There's no getting around this question now. "...how do I know I can trust you?"

"_Trust is something that must be earned. It cannot be conveyed through speech."_ Senketsu says. _"But let me ask _you_ a question. If I had been designed as a trap for you, do you think I would have allowed you to leave the Demon World?"_

Elsa frowns. "What did he say?" Vergil asks her.

"He asked why he'd let me leave the Demon World if he was designed to be a trap." she says.

"To create a false sense of security." Vergil says. "It's too big of a risk."

Elsa looks back at Senketsu sadly. They're both about to say something when there's a knock at the door. "Elsa?" a familiar voice calls. "You're not going to believe this!"


	12. Bargaining

Elsa hurries to open the door. Anna is there, beaming, clutching something close to her chest. "Anna! Is everything all right?" Elsa asks. Anna nods and nods again. She opens her mouth, but the only thing that comes out is a barely audible squeak of delight. Elsa looks at her, bemused. Vergil and Senketsu look at each other in confusion.

Finally, Anna is able to speak."lookwhatkristofffound!" she squeals. She holds out the thing in her arms. It's a white and blue uniform with gold epaulets on the shoulder and gold designs along the side, ending in a skirt that's just as short as Senketsu's. It has two eyes to Senketsu's one, both orange and red, which, like the uniform itself, feel intimidating and regal.

"Anna, where did Kristoff find this?" There is a chill around Elsa's heart and running down her spine.

"In his sled." Anna says. She holds the uniform up against herself and judges the fit. "He said it was waiting there when he got back from seeing Grand Pabby. And it's too small for him, so..."

Elsa tries not to imagine Kristoff in a skirt that short. "Anna, I don't think these things are safe-"

"What do you mean safe? Can you imagine how this would look on me?" Suddenly Anna gasps. "It's white. I could wear it to the wedding! I mean, whenever it happens; I'm not trying to pressure you again-"

"Anna." Elsa tries sounding firm. "They want blood. YOUR blood."

"Oh." Anna deflates a little. "And you got yours from the Demon World." She puts the pieces together quickly. "So... you're thinking...some kind of evil blood magic."

"I don't think there's such a thing as GOOD blood magic." Vergil says.

"Anna..." Elsa hugs her sister. The blue and white uniform ends up smushed between them. "I just don't want anything bad to happen."

Anna hugs her back, and for a moment, she forgets all about the new clothes. When she lets go, however, it's back to planning. She plans silently, her lips working in very unusual ways. "Oh! I know!" she exclaims at last. "We can put them on together!"

"Together?" Elsa doesn't quite follow.

"Yeah, like... I can put mine on first (his name is Junketsu by the way; he said so himself), and if something bad happens, you can come and find me!"

"Find you?" Elsa hates parroting people, but she'll do it for Anna any day of the week.

"In case the demons come back." Anna gives Elsa a fondly exasperated look. "Maybe we'll be strong enough that we can fight them off! Side by side!"

Elsa looks doubtfully at Senketsu. _"This is something you must decide on your own." _he tells her.

She looks at her sister, bright-eyed and full of faith. Suddenly she can't say no. "All right." she sighs. "But I want Nero and-and everyone else to be nearby in case something like that happens!"

Anna squeals in delight and flings her arms around Elsa in an almost bonecrushing hug. "Thank yoooooooou!" she cries again and again and again. "You are the best big sister anyone could ever wish for!"

Elsa is too stunned to say anything more, although Anna does feel a couple of tears land on her dress.

* * *

><p>At the queen's orders, the courtyard is temporarily cleared of civilians, who are told time and time again that their queries will be answered. Guards are stationed at all the entrances and exits, and the demon hunters arrange themselves around the queen and the princess. Kristoff has joined them. Though he freely admits he might not be much help in a fight, he still refuses to be left out.<p>

Elsa and Anna stand facing each other in the center of the courtyard. "Ready?" Elsa asks the demon hunters (and Kristoff). Everyone nods again. "Ready?" Elsa asks Anna somewhat more quietly.

Anna nods. Somewhat to her surprise, when she had donned Junketsu, the uniform had sprouted leggings for her to wear, complete with _heels_. The skirt is still far too short for her tastes, but at least she looks kind of awesome. "Of course I'm ready." she says.

Elsa looks down at Senketsu, wrapped around her body once more. He makes her look relaxed, which she is anything but. "How are you feeling Senketsu?"

"_I am...expectant, but pleasantly so. Thank you for asking Elsa." _Senketsu says. _"Though I confess I have no idea how your sister expects to activate her uniform. She has no glove, after all."_

"Hmm." Elsa looks back to Anna. "Anna, does Junketsu have anything to say?"

"I don't know..." Anna is frowning in concentration. "He's not really much of a talker, he just sort of thinks things and I have to follow along." Her brow unfurrows suddenly. "Oh!" She looks down at her left arm, to a small blue band with three clasps along the bicep of her uniform. "Here it is!" She pulls three tiny metal levers in quick succession. The clasps close. Three needles sink into her arm and begin drawing blood. The last thing Elsa sees of her sister is her teeth clamping down upon her lip. Then the world explodes.

There's a rushing of wind and a brilliant flash of light. Kristoff and Lady and Elsa struggle to stay on their feet. Junketsu awakens and wraps itself around Anna's body anew, roaring inside her head. Anna roars too, or does she scream? The power build until the light finally starts to fade. Anna realizes that she IS screaming, or shouting. Words that are not her own erupt from her mouth, but they feel _good_ to say. "Life Fiber Override!" Her eyes flash. "Kamui...JUNKETSU!"

She looks nothing like she did before. The formal almost militaristic air of the uniform is gone, replaced by raw energy. The eyes have moved up to her shoulders, and Anna's cleavage is showing, as is the entirety of her belly. The skirt has been replaced by tightly-fit and very short pants that only reach partway down her thighs. "Whoa." she says. She holds up her hand and looks at it as though seeing it for the first time. She stomps the ground, knocking everyone present off their feet. Tiles throughout the courtyard buckle and crack. "WHOA." she says.

Elsa struggles to pick herself up. "Are you all right Anna?" she asks.

"I am WAY better than all right!" Anna says. "Come on, it's your turn!"

Elsa looks at the glove. It's red and fingerless, and she can see a metal rod like the one Anna had just used to activate her uniform. Or is it a kamui, whatever that might be? "Elsa?" Anna is looking at her. "It's okay. It barely even hurts." she says.

Elsa takes a deep breath and looks at the demon hunters for confirmation. _It's not that I don't trust you Anna, _she thinks. _I just want to be _sure_. _Dante looks around and, seeing no signs of trouble, gives her a nod. She takes a second deep breath and pulls the lever. The needle sinks into the back of her hand, and she clenches it instinctively. The sensation of the blood leaving her body makes her stomach knot hard, and then the transformation begins. Every fiber of Senketsu's being quivers with energy and reforms itself around her, constricting her body in new and awkward ways. She writhes as the power begins flooding back into her veins. She is dimly aware of Senketsu saying something and her own vocal cords unconsciously repeating it. "LIFE FIBER OVERRIDE! KAMUI...SENKETSU!"

The only sound she can hear is the blood throbbing through her ears. Everyone is staring at her in awe. Her breathing is heavy. She feels as if she could run a hundred miles up the North Mountain and back.

Anna applauds. "Woohooooo!" she cheers. "That's my sister for you!"

Elsa takes a look at herself. Senketsu is somehow covering even LESS of her body than before. Her shoulders and arms and legs are covered, at least partly, but the underside of her bosom is exposed and she's wearing shorts that are _far_ too tight around her waist for comfort. She blushes furiously and tries to cover herself. Thankfully, no one comments on it. They are all too stunned by the power that even she can feel radiating off of her.

"Try using your powers." Anna suggests. Elsa raises her hands and tries to create a light dusting of snow. Everything in sight is promptly covered in half a foot of the stuff. Including the people.

"Anna!" Elsa gasps. She hurriedly raises her hands into the air and the snow is banished only slightly less quickly than it had arrived. No one had even had time to shiver.

"Things sure have gotten interesting around here." Dante says.

* * *

><p>And speaking of the North Mountain...<p>

A little while later, the creature named Marshmallow raises his head. The doors of his home bang open and a blast of icy power envelops him. He knows this is no normal winter storm.

Elsa is calling.


	13. Changing

"Okay..." Kristoff says slowly. "Anna, I think you should take it off now..."

"Take it OFF?" Anna repeats. "But then I won't be wearing anything!" She looks down at herself. "I mean, he doesn't cover much but at least he covers SOMETHING!"

"You just caused an earthquake." he reminds her.

"I can control it! I just have to figure out how!" she says. Then she frowns. "Why are you all moving back and forth like that?" she asks. "Oh wait a minute, that's _me_."

"Anna?" Elsa asks, her voice quavering suddenly. "What's wrong?"

"I don't feel good..." she mumbles. She's noticeably paler than before.

Elsa is at her side in a moment. "He's taking too much blood." she says. "You have to tell Junketsu to go back to normal."

"That makes...sense." Anna says slowly. "Hey you...Junketsu..." She goes dangerously quiet towards the end of his name. "Go back to normal." She pauses. "He's not doing it." she says at last.

Elsa glares at the uniform, who glares right back. "You." she says angrily, and draws herself up. "You _will_ listen to my sister. She is wearing you, not the other way around!"

Anna draws strength from Elsa's defiance. "Yeah." she says. "You've had enough of my blood for today. Go on." There's a flash of light, and she and Junketsu are back to normal. She heaves a sigh of relief. "THAT'S better." she says. She takes a step forward and wobbles. Kristoff is by her side now as well, but she holds up her hand. "I'm fine." she says. "I'm just...gonna...lie down for a bit." Elsa looks uncertain, but Kristoff, despite Anna's initial refusal, insists on helping her to her room. Trish goes with them.

As Elsa watches her sister go, Senketsu speaks up, for the first time since his transformation. _"Elsa. You are also running low on blood. If there is nothing important you wish to do, I would advise you to disengage as well."_

She shakes her head, both in negation and to try and clear it. "No." she says. "I just wanted to see..." Her voice trails away. Then, she says, "Go ahead Senketsu." She feels him return to his original form, but all her audience perceives is another flash of light. She notices her fingers are trembling, and holds them close to her chest to conceal it.

Nero is the first to speak. "Well that was weird." he says. "It was kinda cool, but...weird."

Vergil nods his head imperceptibly. "You should get some rest." he says to Elsa. "Losing that much blood can't be good for you."

Suddenly Elsa is impatient. "That's all I've been doing for the past three days." she says angrily. "RESTING. My kingdom is under siege. My FAMILY is under siege. And there is a man in my dungeon who knows more than he's saying." Tired though she is, she is still acutely aware of the pressure pushing against the inside of her hands, desperate to be let out. "I'm going to talk with him." she says, and heads back into the castle.

"Someone should go after her." Lady observes.

There's an uncomfortable silence, made all the more uncomfortable by the realization that comes to each of them in turn: they don't know _why_ they don't want to follow her.

"I'll go." Dante says at last. "Keep the queen outta trouble..." He turns around and regards his compatriots with one raised eyebrow. "Try not to kill each other while I'm gone." he adds.

* * *

><p>Hans has no idea how much time has passed since Queen Elsa's visit. Daytime and nighttime have blended together, and all he knows is the grayness of the walls. The keys rattle in the lock again. This time, he doesn't stand up. "What do you want?" he asks. He should be happy to see her. Instead, he's unconsciously reflecting the change in her demeanor. She looks tired, even paler than usual, though perhaps that's the strange black outfit she's wearing.<p>

"I want to know." Elsa says. "I want to know what you know about that demon."

"You have my terms." he says and closes his eyes. He ignores the other footsteps that are approaching, planning to deal with whoever's making them later.

"I do." she says. "And I am prepared to...accept them."

He opens his eyes. "Why?" He sits up and looks at her. "I tried to kill you! I left your sister to die!"

"I hadn't forgotten either of those." she says. "But unlike you, I am not a killer. I will send word to your father that you are to be excommunicated and banished, NOT to be put to death."

"You sure about that?" the newcomer asks, another man with white hair.

Hans agrees with him. He can't quite believe what he's hearing. He stops for a moment to gather his thoughts. When he speaks, he says, "You're not naïve enough to think this might change me... And you don't know what I have to offer will be worth the risk." The voice of rational thought in the back of his mind is telling him to shut up, but he tells it to shut up as well. "You'll have to live with this for the rest of your life! If I hurt anyone, it'll be on YOUR hands."

"No." Elsa says at last. "It will be on yours."

And there is nothing left to say. She leaves, as does the man in red. Hans is not in a position to answer questions any more.

* * *

><p>"<em>That was impressive Elsa."<em> Senketsu says.

"It was only the truth." Elsa replies, but she smiles anyway.

"The truth isn't always easy to say." Dante says.

She smiles again, rather embarrassed now, then she remembers Olaf. "Olaf..." she murmurs.

"_Who is that?"_ Senketsu asks.

"He's...he's hard to explain." Elsa says. "I'll let you see for yourself."

They find him in the garden. The ducks, as usual, are not sure what to make of him. Equally as usual, he doesn't seem to mind. "Hiiiii!" he says as he comes up and gives Elsa's legs a hug. "Oh it's so good to see you!" Senketsu looks down at the snowman. His disbelief is palpable.

"It's good to see you too Olaf." Elsa says. She crouches down beside him in order to return the hug.

Olaf opens an eye. "Something's different." he says. He lets go and, after a moment's thought, says, "You changed your hair!"

Elsa chuckles. "Not exactly." she replies. "I changed my dress." She stands up so Olaf can see. "This is Senketsu. He's not a dress; he's a...what was that word you had me use?"

"_Kamui. I am not sure why." _Senketsu says. _"I have half-formed memories of it being part of the ritual used to bind me together..."_

"Huh. When Elsa made me, all she did was wiggle her hands a bit." Olaf says.

Elsa blinks. "Wait, you can hear him?" she asks.

"Well, yeah. Can't you?"

"_I_ can, but no one else seems able to." She looks at Dante for confirmation. He shrugs.

"_So the only other being I can converse with is a two foot tall snowman."_ Senketsu grumbles. _"Wonderful."_

"Hey, it's okay!" Olaf says. "I like meeting new people!"

"Olaf?" Elsa says. He looks back up at her. "Kristoff says he heard voices up in the mountains. Did you hear anything?"

"Uh huh! It didn't say anything I could understand though. It was just this _big _rumbling sound." Olaf stops to think. "I guess it wasn't really a sound if it was in our heads..."

"Well, I'm convinced." Dante says. "It can't be possibly a coincidence if the guy who talks to his reindeer and the snowman both heard it."

Elsa smiles at him in the way most people smile at Dante. "Now that that's out of the way," she says to Olaf. "Do you want to come say hi to Anna?"

"You bet!" Olaf says. He skips along between Elsa and Dante, musing to himself and to Senketsu. "I wonder if Sven would let us try putting you on him. Then you could be SVENketsu!"

"_I would not let a reindeer wear me in a hundred years."_

* * *

><p>Anna finally works up the nerve to say something to Trish. "I know this is going to sound weird, because I'm so tired, but...what's your life like?"<p>

Trish cocks her head. "I don't understand."

"I want to know more about you. You know, who you are, what you like to do; I mean, I know you like spending time with Lady, I meant besides that-"

"I got that part." Trish says. "But you just tapped into your sentient uniform's hidden powers and had it drink your BLOOD, and you're asking about MY life?"

"I like people." Anna replies with a shrug. "Kristoff doesn't." She nudges him with her elbow.

"I like Elsa." he says. "And I like you."

"That makes two people." Anna tells him playfully.

"There's nothing wrong with two." he protests. "Two's a good number. You and Elsa, you and Sven, me and Sven, you and me..."

"I like where this is going!" Anna giggles to Trish. Trish purses her lips.

"Here we are!" she says a few minutes later. "Home sweet home." She opens the door a little more forcefully than she had intended. "What?" she says in response to Kristoff's inquisitive look. As he begins to help Anna get undressed, Trish asks, "So the whole sleeping arrangement's a little unclear to me. Am I supposed to wait here in the dark while you and ice-man get some shuteye?"

"You don't have to." Anna says, struggling out of Junketsu, who seems to have gotten tighter on her since she first put him on. "We can have someone bring you a bed for you to sleep on. Or a chair-"

Trish waves it off. "It's okay." she says. "I'm a demon; I don't need much sleep."

Kristoff glances at her in alarm. "You're a DEMON?" he asks.

"Yup. I was created by the dark emperor to help him overthrow mankind." She blows him a kiss. "Pleasant dreams."

He is saved from having to come up with a response by a quiet knocking at the door. "Come innnn." Anna yawns.

The door opens, and Elsa peers around the corner. "Is everyone decent?" she asks.

"If by 'decent' you mean 'actually wearing something', yes." Kristoff says.

Elsa comes in somewhat shyly. Dante waits in the hall. "Olaf wanted to say hi." she says, unnecessarily as it turns out. He's already bouncing up onto the bed to give Anna a hug. "How are you feeling?" she asks.

"Uhhhhhh!" Anna loudly returns Olaf's hug, then focuses on Elsa's question. "I'm okay. Really! It's a shame I'm going to have to miss dinner."

"I'll have someone bring something up." Elsa assures her. "Maybe a double helping...?" She glances at Kristoff for confirmation, arching one brow delicately.

"Uhh..." Kristoff looks away, while Anna tries concealing a smile.

"Should I take that as a 'yes'?" Elsa asks. Anna and Kristoff look at each other and say 'yes' in unison. "All right." She smiles at both of them. "Try not to have _too_ much fun." she says.

"Fun? Us? Nahhhh."

"Nope."

"Never happen."

"We just talk. About...stuff."

"Lots of stuff."

"SERIOUS stuff."

Elsa's smile only grows broader. "Come on Olaf." she says. Olaf hops down off the bed to join her, but not before saying goodnight to the faintly pink princess and ice harvester. She closes the door behind them.

"Do you think she bought it?" Anna whispers.

"I don't know; she's YOUR sister!" Kristoff whispers back.

Dante is leaning against the wall outside. He looks up when Elsa and Olaf come out. "Trish staying in there?" he asks. Elsa nods. "All right, good to know. Where are we off to next?"

"We are 'off' to the kitchen." she says. "I have a request to put in for dinner..."


End file.
